【By Liu Bai, Observer Net】China's contributions to global climate issues are evident, yet EU officials, who have not even presented a formal plan, have been picking on China endlessly, which is truly "astonishing".

Last month, the European Commission's Commissioner for Climate Action, Hugues de Vries, solemnly criticized China's climate commitments as "far from sufficient", confusing American media — what is the purpose of this behavior when the EU itself has not yet presented a specific strategy?

Half a month has passed, and this EU climate commissioner is still pretending not to understand.

In an interview published by Politico on October 13, he said that the EU will continue to cooperate with China, but "there is no need to say (China's) targets are almost good enough," and added that China "missed the opportunity to fulfill its responsibilities as a major power."

At last month's United Nations Climate Summit, China announced a new round of national contributions, including a reduction of 7% to 10% in net greenhouse gas emissions across the entire economy by 2035. The public widely praised China for playing a "leadership role."

Even the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, expressed approval of China's actions in the climate field.

She said: "I welcome China's willingness to contribute to achieving global climate goals in all areas, fulfill the Paris Agreement commitments, and deepen bilateral low-carbon development cooperation. I also welcome China's commitment to carbon pricing."

Video screenshot of Hugues de Vries, the European Commission's Commissioner for Climate Action

However, de Vries feigned sincerity, stating that one must be candid about China's commitments, "despite being in diplomacy, there is no need to say (China's) targets are almost good enough."

He also stated that every country is responsible for pollution that exacerbates global warming, and he would continue to seek dialogue with China: "We will continue to cooperate with China, but in my view, China missed an opportunity. An opportunity to take necessary actions and fulfill its responsibilities as an important power."

De Vries is not the first to say this.

He had previously hinted that unless China demonstrates greater "climate ambition," the EU would not sign a joint statement with China.

Face with the wave of criticism, de Vries remained unmoved. In an event in Brussels at the beginning of this month, he said, "We often overestimate our ability to significantly influence (China's) decisions."

He said: "I completely do not believe that even if we submitted earlier (climate plans), it would change the situation. If China's response is only to reduce emissions by 7% to 10%, even if you try your best to conduct diplomatic negotiations, it is hard to pretend that this target is 'sufficient'."

For de Vries's unreasonable arguments, the outside world is concerned. With the US President Trump announcing his withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, efforts to address climate issues have been weakened again. Whether the climate summit can produce results now mainly depends on China and the EU.

But now, as the 30th UN Climate Conference (COP30) approaches, de Vries starts to attack China, undoubtedly adding more uncertainty to the summit.

On the issue of emission reductions, the EU is deep in internal divisions and has not submitted a formal climate goal as required by the Paris Agreement, only releasing a "statement of intent," indicating that it aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 66.3% to 72.5% compared to 1990 levels by 2035.

De Vries's statements have caused strong dissatisfaction in China. Previously, China told Reuters that the EU's actions were "double standards and selective blindness," and warned that "such remarks undermine the unity of the global response to climate change and damage the cooperative atmosphere."

On the afternoon of the 13th, de Vries planned to meet with Chinese representatives in Brazil. This is the first formal meeting between the two sides since the dispute was raised, and it is also the last preparatory meeting before COP30.

Currently, the White House is trying every means to promote fossil fuels and downplay the surge in global investments in clean energy. In this context, most countries around the world are hoping that China and the EU will step forward and send a unified signal to move away from coal, oil, and natural gas.

Among European and UN officials, and even among many climate advocacy organizations, de Vries's criticisms of China's climate goals seem "out of place."

European Green Party member Michael Bloch bluntly stated, "Only when we lead by example can our criticism of others be persuasive. De Vries's statements seem more like an attempt to shift attention away from the EU's own shortcomings rather than a coherent climate strategy."

"Now, we talk big but achieve nothing," Bloch said in an interview, "This is not a way to inspire other countries to take action. Without close cooperation between the EU and China, the COP30 process will be in danger."

"De Vries is a burden. His words and actions always make people feel that he just finished the 18th hole of golf and wants to have a Caesar salad with a glass of red wine. No one I know feels he has the necessary sense of seriousness," said a senior European climate diplomat.

Politico noted that currently, the differences between China and the EU on climate policies come at a sensitive moment: the EU is planning to strengthen trade protection measures against China, and the trade tensions between the two sides may further escalate.

Sebastien Tréhan, Executive Director of the French Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI), believes that de Vries's comments appear to be "walking a tightrope." From a diplomatic perspective, it is unimaginable for the EU to simply accept China's climate goals.

Nevertheless, Tréhan emphasized that such comments "create a rather intense atmosphere of mutual blame rather than a positive atmosphere of mutual learning" before COP30.

EU Vice President Teresa Ribera told Politico that COP30 needs to convey a "united response to the fossil fuel revisionism of the Trump administration."

"At the COP conference held in Belém this year, we need to clearly convey a message: the multilateral system is ready for cooperation and supported by almost all parties," she said.

This article is an exclusive contribution from Observer Net. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7560966831106327091/

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