China quietly taking the lead in climate diplomacy

Seven years seems a lifetime in politics. In 2017, President Donald Trump announced the United States would withdraw from the Paris Agreement. It prompted Canada, China and the European Union to convene an urgent meeting to reaffirm political commitment to global climate action.

The successful meeting became an annual event which, this week, took place in Wuhan, China – just as the prospect of another Trump presidency looms large.

Australia’s Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen represented Australia at the invitation-only meeting of climate ministers and senior officials from nearly 30 countries.

The group gathered to progress global climate negotiations in the lead-up to the next United Nations climate conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan. Setting stronger emissions reduction targets should send clear signals for investment, which has been lagging in Australia – but not China.

China is making remarkable progress in the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Analysts have observed record growth in solar and wind – reducing coal’s share in electricity generation – alongside a boom in manufacturing of low-carbon technologies, including batteries and electric vehicles.

All of this means China’s greenhouse gas emissions may have peaked, which would be great news for the planet. It also means Australia must get a move on if it wants to become a renewable energy superpower.

China clearly wants to play more of a global leadership role in the energy transition, but also put pressure on its own industries and firms to take climate action. China’s decision to host this week’s meeting, and others, reflects this aspiration.

Earlier this month, China hosted a five-day meeting of “like-minded developing