As a result of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's ongoing visit to Brazil, China and Brazil Tuesday signed a joint statement on addressing the climate change issue together for a common vision of sustainable development.
According to the statement, both sides recognize that climate change and its adverse effects are the common concern of humankind and one of the greatest global challenges of the 21st century, which need to be addressed through international cooperation in the context of sustainable development.
As the world's major developing countries, China and Brazil have undertaken ambitious actions domestically on climate change in such areas as energy efficiency, renewable energy, the forest sector, agriculture and industry. Both sides intend to increase the share of renewable energy in their energy matrices.
The two reaffirmed their commitment to reaching a balanced, comprehensive, equitable and ambitious agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol at the UN Climate Conference to be held in Paris later this year. China and Brazil will work together with other parties, in particular with other BASIC countries which group Brazil, South Africa, India and China, towards this goal, in full accordance with the principles equity, common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.
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The European Green Deal has made the environment and climate change the focus of EU action. Indeed, climate change impacts are already increasing the pressure on states and societies; however, it is not yet clear how the EU can engage on climate security and environmental peacemaking. In this light, and in the run-up to the German EU Council Presidency, adelphi and its partners are organising a roundtable series on “Climate, environment, peace: Priorities for EU external action in the decade ahead”.
In January 2020, the German Federal Foreign Office launched Green Central Asia, a regional initiative on climate and security in Central Asia and Afghanistan. The aim of the initiative is to support a dialogue in the region on climate change and associated risks in order to foster regional integration between the six countries involved.
Climate change will shift key coordinates of foreign policy in the coming years and decades. Even now, climate policy is more than just environment policy; it has long since arrived at the centre of foreign policy. The German Foreign Office recently released a report on climate diplomacy recognizing the biggest challenges to security posed by climate change and highlighting fields of action for strengthening international climate diplomacy.
A high-level ministerial conference in Berlin is looking at the impact of climate change on regional security in Central Asia. The aim is to foster stronger regional cooperation, improve the exchange of information and form connections with academia and civil society.