China News Service, November 12. On November 10, local time, a side event with the theme of "Ecological Civilization and Beautiful China Practices" was held in Antalya, Turkey during the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The side event was guided by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, hosted by the Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization Research Center and China News Service, and co-organized by the Environmental and Economic Policy Research Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and China News Network. This is the first time that China News Agency’s “News Living Room” has held a series of activities in Türkiye.
At the themed side meeting, Huang Runqiu, Minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, and others delivered a speech. Li Gao, head of the Chinese delegation at COP31 and vice minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, presided over the speech session. Hu Jun, director of the Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization Research Center and director of the Environmental and Economic Policy Research Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and Yu Lan, deputy editor-in-chief of China News Service and president of China News Network, attended the event.
On the same day, the "Press Room" welcomed the first batch of international dialogue guests after going abroad, including Simon Steele, Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, COP31 Negotiation Chairman Bowen, International Energy Agency Administrator Fatih Birol, etc. From their professional perspectives, the guests shared their thoughts on global climate governance and talked about the opportunities China's green transformation brings to the world.
At this COP31 side meeting, the collision of ideas across countries and fields formed a profound resonance - the guests at the meeting agreed that global climate governance is inseparable from multilateral collaboration, and China's continued promotion of ecological and energy transformation is providing a practical path for the world to learn from.
China’s contribution to global climate governance
In his speech, Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, spoke highly of China's green transformation practices. When evaluating China's energy transformation results, he said that China's achievements are "unique" in the world.
Steele believes that China has always firmly practiced multilateralism and continued to participate deeply in various UN affairs, especially the work related to UN climate action, which has injected strong impetus into the steady progress of global climate governance.
Taking South-South cooperation as an example, he believes that China "helps many developing countries to promote clean energy transformation and improve climate resilience." China's energy transformation practices have also stimulated global innovation and promoted related cost reductions. He specifically mentioned that China proposed to strive to achieve better results based on the new nationally determined contribution goals. In his eyes, this demonstrates China's extraordinary wisdom and foresight.
Stewart Maginnis, Deputy Director-General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, shared his long-term observations on China's ecological protection practices based on his first-line experience of cooperation in China for more than 20 years. In his view, China's ecological civilization construction is not only a green agenda, but also a strategic choice for the symbiosis between man and nature. It promotes people to increase their income and become rich while maintaining the ecological foundation on which they depend for survival.
He said that China has shown the world that ecological protection and economic development are not mutually antagonistic or competitive.
He pointed out that China's ecological restoration work is world-famous. This systematic restoration not only covers forests, but also extends to rivers, wetlands and other fields. It is also committed to eliminating resistance that hinders the effective operation of ecosystems.
Economic opportunities for green and low-carbon development
Fatih Birol, Director of the International Energy Agency, noted that more countries and regions are entering the era of electrification. Birol highly affirmed China's pioneering exploration in energy transformation. In his view, China has made outstanding achievements in the fields of electric vehicles, renewable energy, and battery energy storage, and has obvious advantages in industrial chains such as hydropower, photovoltaics, wind power, energy storage, and clean fuels.
During his visit to China in September 2026, Birol held discussions with relevant Chinese departments and visited Tsinghua University. He was deeply impressed by China's vigorous innovation vitality. Birol said that the promotion of electrification by countries including China has multiple benefits. It can not only boost the economy and ensure energy security, but also help combat climate change and improve air quality. China's role in the field of clean energy is undisputed and has pointed the way for the world. He called on all countries to build consensus and jointly establish electrification development goals.
Behind the electrification wave, the scale and cost of renewable energy supply have always been the focus of market attention.
Chris Bowen, COP31 negotiation chair and Australian Minister of Climate Change and Energy, highly affirmed China’s key role in the global renewable energy transformation process in his speech. He believes that the energy crisis, fossil fuel dependence and the pressure on electricity consumption brought by artificial intelligence have jointly pushed up the cost of people's livelihood, and accelerating the development of renewable energy and electrification transformation is the way to deal with it.
Bowen cited the "Renewable Energy 2025" report released by the International Energy Agency and pointed out that from 2025 to 2030, global renewable energy installed capacity will increase by 4,600 gigawatts, and China will play a crucial role in this due to its size and influence. Bowen said that China's continued investment in renewable energy and lowering the cost of photovoltaics and batteries "will not only help the country's deep decarbonization, but also benefit the world."
Laura Clarke, CEO of Clines European Environmental Protection Association, also believes that "China has demonstrated significant economic opportunities in the green and low-carbon fields." She said that in recent years, China's green transformation has achieved remarkable results and has become one of the leaders in the development of green technology in the world. At the same time, she also pointed out that China’s ambition to build an ecological civilization and a beautiful China also has great global influence. Clark also noted that China is strengthening partnerships with other countries, which will help achieve a green transition at the global level.
Just transformation that puts people at the heart
When green technology forms industrial momentum, its impact on ordinary people's lives and health is also worthy of attention.
Barbara Vrede, head of Novartis' global social impact and sustainable development strategy, said that human health is closely related to the health of the planet, and China is an important country for Novartis to translate its global sustainable development vision into local practice.
She introduced that Novartis launched the Sichuan Forestry Carbon Sequestration, Community and Biodiversity Project in 2010, which has created nearly 4,000 hectares of forest, planted approximately 21 million trees, benefited more than 4,200 families and more than 18,000 residents, and created approximately 40 million yuan in labor income for local communities. "This practice shows that environmental protection actions can create ecological, social and economic value at the same time." Fred said that Novartis looks forward to continuing to deepen cooperation with all parties in China to promote ecological restoration, biodiversity protection and sustainable community development, and create a healthier and sustainable future for mankind and the earth.
Yamide Dagnet, senior vice president of international projects at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said that COP31 is widely regarded as a climate conference focusing on "implementation and transformation". The key is to translate climate commitments into practical actions. She emphasized that climate action should be people-centered and allow local communities to participate in the green transformation by improving people's lives and creating development opportunities.
Dagnet believes that the concept of just transformation is consistent with the core spirit of China’s ecological civilization construction. Renewable energy can not only promote the transformation of the energy structure, but also promote economic growth and common prosperity. She hopes that China's green transformation experience will provide reference for other countries through South-South cooperation, North-South cooperation and international exchanges, and transform transformation challenges into opportunities to achieve common prosperity and sustainable development.
Taking the climate issue as a link, this dialogue relied on the immersive observation and first-person perspective of international guests to transform China's ecological answer sheet into a touching world language. Taking this opportunity, China News Service's "News Living Room" extends the dialogue field to international multilateral platforms, builds an important platform for Chinese and foreign exchanges at major international conferences, and realizes a new exploration of expanding international communication.
Reporters: Wei Yuan, Wang Qingkai, Chen Su, Wang Gaofei, Xu Junjie
Editor: Wu Xinru, Xue Lingqiao, Liu Muqi
Typesetting: Ding Baoxiu
Reviewer: Meng Xiangjun Feng Shuang
Editor: Ma Xueling
