China Briefing 12 November 2026: COP31 Special

12.11.26

By:

Anika Patel, Lekai Liu

Welcome to China Briefing, where Carbon Brief handpicks and explains the most important climate and energy stories from China over the past fortnight. Sign up below.

In this edition…

• China outlined key negotiating positions ahead of COP.
• Trade and adaptation finance left off the agenda.
• Disagreements over climate finance in early discussions.  
• Vice-president Han Zheng attended the leaders summit.
• New science on snow seasons and wheat vulnerability.

Key developments

Early signals

CHINA’S POSITION: At a news conference in late October, environment vice-minister Li Gao said COP31 should send a “clear political signal” that the global low-carbon transition is “irreversible”, reported state news agency Xinhua. It added that Li, who is also head of the Chinese delegation to COP31, said the conference should address the “old problems” of insufficient emissions cuts by – and climate finance from – developed countries, as well as the “new challenges” of unilateralism and protectionism, which undermine collective efforts on climate. 

OTHER GOALS: The Global Times, a state-supporting newspaper, reported that, on climate finance, Li called for “in-depth discussions” on a roadmap for developed countries to deliver $300bn of new climate finance annually by 2035 and to triple adaptation finance. According to a transcript of the press conference published by the environment ministry, he also called for “facilitating the free flow” of clean-energy technologies and “commended” the COP presidencies’ efforts on an electrification goal.

CLIMATE CHORUS: At an event in Hong Kong last month, environment minister Huang Runqiu called the “green transition…not a solo, but a chorus”, reported public broadcaster RTHK, highlighting the challenges developing countries face in overcoming finance and technology barriers. Speaking at the One Earth Summit, Bloomberg quoted Huang saying that the Himalayan floods proved that “climate change is…a real risk facing humanity today”.

PAVILION SPEECHES: On the second day of COP31, Huang spoke at an event at the China pavilion attended by Carbon Brief, in which he said China will bring “greater certainty and greater momentum to global climate governance”. He also noted that this year “marks the beginning of a new decade” of the Paris Agreement, meaning that “more than ever” countries must strengthen action, solidarity and cooperation to address climate change. 

Agenda fight averted

TRADE OFF: A suggestion to put trade on the agenda at COP31 came not from China or the negotiating blocs of which it is a member, but from the African group. In the end, however, the item was not included. The BASIC group – which includes Brazil, South Africa, India and China – reaffirmed its opposition to “unilateral…protectionist measures” in the opening plenary, according to Third World Network. It added that BASIC argued these measures, “such as carbon border adjustment mechanisms…undermine the efforts of developing countries to address the adverse impacts of climate change”.

FINANCE FRACAS: Meanwhile, the “climate finance work programme” was added to the agenda, despite protestations from the EU. The BASIC group “stressed the climate finance work programme should focus” on developed countries, said Earth Negotiations Bulletin. The Like-Minded Developing Countries (LMDCs), a group of which China is also a member, argued that achieving their climate pledges required “adequate, accessible and timely provisions of the means of implementation [including finance]”. It also said in the plenary, attended by Carbon Brief, that the LMDCs “regret” that an item on tripling adaptation finance was not added to the agenda, adding that adaptation finance remains “woefully inadequate”. 

TAKING THE FLOOR: China said in the opening plenary that being able to close the COP with a signal that “solidarity and multilateralism” was “more important than specific problems”. However, it said that the energy transition “should bridge the gap between north and south, rather than widening these divisions”. China seeks a “comprehensive and balanced outcome” from COP31, it said.

BASIC’S STATEMENT: South Africa, on behalf of BASIC, also said that the COP process must focus on the “implementation of all pillars of the [UN climate] convention”, including mitigation, adaptation, finance and “enabling an environment for cooperation”. Its statement included calls for progress to be made on a taskforce for the “global goal on adaptation” and for developed countries to increase provision of adaptation finance, as well as calls for the climate finance work programme to focus on implementing Article 9.1 of the Paris text, which relates to the provision of finance by developed countries.

Continued tensions on climate finance

NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE: Negotiations on finance have been continuing, with disagreement over whether or not the work programme has already started. The LMDCs argued on Tuesday that the climate finance work programme should “contribute towards strengthening the provision of climate finance by developed countries”, according to Third World Network. They added that the programme should feature “clear expected outcomes”, with “clearly identified deliverables”, such as an “action plan for the implementation of Article 9.1”. 

OTHER MATTERS: The LMDCs also supported a motion to “reaffirm developed countries’ finance obligations” on adaptation, “as well as the voluntary nature of technical work under the global goal on adaptation”, said Earth Negotiations Bulletin. It added that, in negotiations for funding arrangements for implementing Article 6.2, which governs bilateral trading of emissions, China called for “sustainable funding arrangements that impose no additional burden on developing countries”. 

ELECTRIFICATION: As negotiations continue, a number of questions on other topics remain. These include whether China will formally sign onto the Turkish presidency’s flagship electrification pledge, how trade of clean-energy technologies might appear in discussions given the lack of an agenda item, and whether China will support the production of a “cover text”. Meanwhile, a common topic of discussion among delegates is whether China will host COP33 in 2028.

Han urged more support for global south

GUTERRES MEETING: Chinese vice-president Han Zheng travelled to Turkey to attend COP31 as president Xi Jinping’s special representative. He met with UN secretary-general António Guterres, telling him that “China attaches great importance to the issue of climate change”, reported Xinhua. According to the outlet, he added that climate action “currently faces numerous challenges”, with developing countries in particular facing “funding shortages, technological backwardness and capacity deficits in implementing” their international climate pledges.

CLEAN-TECH LOCALISATION: Ahead of COP, Han also attended the China-Turkey “green development business forum”, where he called for “deepening green economic and trade cooperation” between the two countries, reported state broadcaster CGTN. Han said this included “deepening industrial and technological cooperation and pursuing localised production”, in part to “enhance the competitiveness of Turkey’s new-energy industry”, according to the outlet.

SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION: The next day, Han spoke at a high-level event at the China pavilion on south-south cooperation. [See Captured below.] Han emphasised that “China will vigorously deepen south-south cooperation and continue to provide assistance to other developing countries to the best of its ability”, according to a recording obtained by Carbon Brief. He raised three key points for future cooperation: “promoting green development”, enhancing climate resilience and strengthening capacity-building.

LEADERS SUMMIT: Han then spoke at the COP31 leaders summit, which observers had anticipated could include a signal of support for the presidency’s electrification pledge. However, the speech instead focused on broader principles, with Han calling for focusing on “common goals”, accelerating the “green transition”, preventing climate disasters and “upholding openness and inclusivity”. His speech reaffirmed China’s ambition to reach a 35% electrification rate by 2030. It also urged developed countries to “take the lead” on climate finance.

Captured

Chinese environment minister Huang Runqiu and vice-minister Li Gao welcome vice-president Han Zheng to the COP31 China pavilion, ahead of his speech on “south-south cooperation”. (Photo: Anika Patel.)

Watch, read, listen

ALUMINIUM EMISSIONS: Jiemian explored how a conflicting set of policy standards is constricting the energy transition in China’s aluminium sector.

CRITICAL MINERALS: The Trivium China podcast explored why China’s critical minerals “off switch” is not “as ironclad as Washington thinks”.

CLEAN-TECH ‘INVOLUTION’: The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies looked at China’s “clean-tech crisis”, concluding that “involution” is likely to persist in the near term.

ENERGY TRANSITION: The Buhe Shiyi podcast discussed China’s approach to clean power and coal plants, as well as the impact of Chinese solar technology in Pakistan.

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1,021

The number of delegates China has sent to Antalya, according to Carbon Brief analysis of the provisional list of delegates. This is up from 789 in Belem and 969 in Baku.

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New science 

• Global warming could shorten north-east China’s average snow season by 85 days in 2081-2100 under a high-emissions pathway | Communications Earth & Environment
• China’s wheat yields were increasingly vulnerable to combined hot, dry and windy weather events in 1981-2018 | Nature Food