Kinas præsident Xi Jinping kom uden at nævne navne med et slet skjult budskab til Donald Trump, der indsættes som ny amerikansk præsident fredag.
"The Paris Agreement is a hard-won achievement which is in keeping with the underlying trend of global development. All signatories should stick to it instead of walking away from it as this is a responsibility we must assume for future generations", lød det fra det kinesiske statsoverhoved i Davos tirsdag.
Her er ledere, forretningsfolk, diplomater og mange andre samlet for at tale om verdens tilstand, særligt i økonomiske termer ved World Economic Forum.
Det er svært at se Jinpings udtalelse som andet end en opfordring til den snarlige amerikanske præsident om at holde sig til den internationale klimaaftale, der blev vedtaget i Paris i december 2015.
Donald Trump har tidligere udtalt sig skeptisk om klimavidenskaben, og har sagt, at han vil se, om han kan få USA ud af aftalen.
Den kinesiske præsident udtalte også håb om, at FN's verdensmål må blive til virkelihged.
"The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development should be implemented to realize balanced development across the world", lød det i talen.
Talen handlede primært om verdens økonomiske tilstand og vejen fremad for verdenssamfundet. Præsidenten nævnte naturligvis også en del om Kinas egne muligheder.
Reaktioner
Alligevel har udsagnene om klima og miljø (og der var flere end de nævnte i talen) vakt opmærksomhed.
Her er en række reaktioner fra eksperter:
Pete Ogden, Senior Fellow, Centre for American Progress. Also US chief of staff at Copenhagen and Obama’s climate advisor for two years.
“Over the last few years, the US and China have taken historic steps to drive domestic and international progress on growing the clean energy economy and combating climate change – efforts that culminated in the international Paris Climate Agreement.
“President Xi in his address to the World Economic Forum invoked the need for countries to demonstrate ongoing responsible global leadership, and continuing our work together to meet the climate threat would be a prime opportunity to help to do just this.
“Just a few days later, Donald Trump will be inaugurated President of the United States, and it is imperative that he does not forfeit America's position as a world leader – and essential global partner – in the fight against climate change."
Li Shuo, Senior Global Policy Advisor, Greenpeace East Asia.
“Given the current volatility of global politics, President Xi Jinping's address today in Davos helped calm nerves. His reference to climate change highlights a growing sense of China's international responsibility, and the country's evolving calculus towards taking action on the issue.
“As Mr. Trump drops President Obama’s climate legacy, Mr. Xi might well establish one of his own. 2017 presents a real opportunity for China to rise to the challenge of responsible climate leadership. Having moved from climate villain to a reluctant leader in five short years over the first half of this decade, it’s reasonable to expect China to become a true leader by its end.”
Dr Sam Geall, associate fellow with Chatham House, executive editor, China Dialogue & research fellow at the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at University of Sussex
"With Trump hostile to environmental regulation and a divided Europe, observers were hoping Xi Jinping illustrates China’s growing leadership role by highlighting the need for action on climate change. The Chinese leadership has shown it understands not only the climate and air pollution downsides of reliance on fossil fuels, but also the opportunities in the low-carbon economy, including greater efficiency, energy security and resilience."
"China's ambitious policies on decarbonisation have underpinned huge cost reductions in renewable energy, transforming the landscape of technology and innovation. Given policy uncertainty in the United States, Chinese firms are increasingly well positioned to benefit from the commercial opportunities in store as the world shifts away from fossil fuels."
Alden Meyer, Director of Strategy & Policy, Union of Concerned Scientists.
“At the World Economic Forum this week, President Xi has underscored China's continued commitment to decarbonizing its economy and providing leadership on climate change. By contrast, President-elect Donald Trump has downplayed the risks of climate change, and has called for increased use of polluting energy sources like coal and oil.
“His stance threatens to diminish America's standing in the world and to weaken the ability of U.S. companies and workers to compete in the rapidly growing global market for clean energy technologies. As president, Mr. Trump should reconsider these positions, and decide instead to build on his predecessor's constructive engagement with China on climate and energy issues.”
Læs hele Xi Jinpings tale her:
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/01/full-text-of-xi-jinping-keynote-at-the-world-economic-forum/
