OWN COP30 in Belém, the absence of the United States, once a pillar of climate negotiations, offers China an unexpected platform to establish itself as a world leader in renewable energy. Taking advantage of Washington’s withdrawal, Beijing took a leading position at the Brazil summit, demonstrating its industrial and diplomatic might, yet remaining the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases.
The Chinese pavilion stood near the entrance to Parque da Cidade, the exhibition center where the COP was held, and leaders of the country’s largest companies specializing in green energy presented in English, in front of a large crowd, their vision of a future without fossil fuels while Chinese diplomats maneuvered to try to direct the discussion.
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After, as in his first mandate, withdrawing the United States from the 2015 Paris Agreement aimed at limiting global temperature rise, Donald Trump, who was re-elected in January, this year refused to send an official high-level delegation to the Belem summit, its first in thirty years. “President Trump will not jeopardize our nation’s economy and national security to achieve vague climate goals that will kill other countries,” said White House press secretary Taylor Rogers.
Strategic vacancy
America’s absence is not without consequences. “America is destined to lose its competitive edge if we don’t recognize what they are doing in this area,” warned Gavin Newsom, Governor of California, noting China’s dominance of renewable energy supply chains and markets.
For the first time, China’s pavilion at the COP is no longer a secretive space reserved for technical or academic debate. CATL, a world leader in battery manufacturing, hosted an event for government and NGO delegations. Solar energy giants Trina and Longi, power grid SGCC, as well as automaker BYD, which showcased local hybrid vehicles, were also present.
Leadership or subtle influence?
Publicly, China’s Vice Minister of Ecology, Li Gao, emphasized that the position as the world’s leading green energy producer “brings benefits to all countries, especially countries in the South”. This stance was welcomed by the COP president and Ana Toni, the conference’s executive director, who noted that China is now allowing other countries to access low-carbon energy “at competitive prices.”
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Behind the scenes, Beijing is also playing a more subtle diplomatic role, filling the void left by the United States and uniting the interests of Southern countries, from developing countries like the BRICS to smaller developing countries. But some remain cautious: Sue Biniaz, a former deputy US special envoy for climate, believes that China has not shown fully ambitious leadership, pointing to its limited goal of reducing emissions by at least 7% by 2035.
For Li Shuo, director of the China climate center at the Asia Society Policy Institute, “the most powerful countries are not those that voice their opinions most loudly at the COP, but those that produce and invest significantly in low-carbon technologies.” In this area, China has clearly taken a leading step.
