Neil Hirst is the senior Policy Fellow for Energy and Mitigation at the Grantham Institute, Imperial College London.

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It's a great honor for me to have been invited to contribute to the Asian Development Bank‘s book on promoting China’s green development, in commemoration of one hundred years of the communist party of China. China’s economic and social achievements especially during the past twenty years have been extraordinary. They have included rapid industrialization, unprecedented improvements in living standards, and the greatest relief of poverty in world history.

Now China in common with many other countries faces severe environmental challenges. These are embodied in the announced national targets, that emissions will peak by 2030 or earlier if possible, and that carbon neutrality will be achieved by 2060. These targets will be tough to achieve. The next step will be to develop the medium term measures that can progressively move China away from its dependence on coal, bring forward the date when emissions peak, and set China on the road to net zero.

China can also be a leader on international cooperation on climate change. “Belt and Road” has the potential to become a major contributor as it increases its focus on green project and works increasingly with other developing institutions such as the Asian Development Bank. I hope that China's close association with the International Energy Agency will continue to go from strength to strength and that eventually in common with other major developing nations China can become a full member of the IEA. Turning closer to home, China's willingness to give an international lead by ratcheting up its climate commitments will be crucial for the success of the forthcoming Glasgow climate summit, which is the next major milestone in the international effort to address climate change.

I am sure that China will address these new environmental challenges with the same astonishing energy and effectiveness that have characterized china‘s economic transformation over recent decades. I congratulate the Asian Development Bank on the publication of this new book. And I'm sure that it will contribute positively to the vital task of greening China's economy. Thank you for your attention!

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