China rejects accusations of hindering G20 climate talks
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China plays a significant role in the G20, an international forum comprising major advanced and emerging economies.
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A man walks through the venue of the G20 environment and climate sustainability working group meeting in Chennai on July 27, 2023 (AFP)
China has denied allegations that it obstructed climate discussions among G20 environment ministers, expressing regret over their failure to reach an agreement during last week's negotiations in India.
French ecological transition minister Christophe Bechu mentioned "complicated" discussions with China, Saudi Arabia, and Russia.
The Financial Times reported that China used "wrecking tactics" to block debate. However, Beijing refuted these claims, stating that relevant reports are contrary to the facts.
The foreign ministry maintained, in a statement, that the meeting achieved a positive and balanced outcome, but some countries introduced geopolitical issues, resulting in the failure to adopt a communique.
"However, some countries introduced geopolitical issues as an obstruction and the meeting failed to adopt a communique. China finds it regrettable," the statement said without elaborating.
The lack of progress in these negotiations followed a recent meeting of energy ministers from the G20 group, where they were unable to agree on a roadmap to cut fossil fuels from the global energy mix.
This comes at a time when climate experts attribute record global temperatures to exacerbating natural disasters such as floods, storms, and heatwaves. Some major oil producers, including Russia and Saudi Arabia, are concerned about the economic impact of drastic mitigation measures.
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