China, the world's biggest source of
climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions, has been under pressure to
"enhance ambition" and take more drastic action to tackle global
warming. But amid mounting economic challenges, China
is worried about the risk to jobs and growth, especially as it prepares to hold
a key Communist Party conclave that is expected to extend Xi's rule. Xi told senior Communist Party leaders in a
speech published late on Monday that China needed to "overcome the notion
of rapid success" and proceed gradually. "Reducing emissions is not about reducing
productivity, and it is not about not emitting at all," Xi was quoted by
state news agency Xinhua as saying. "We must stick to the overall planning
and ensure energy security, industrial supply chain security and food security
at the same time as cutting carbon emissions," he said. Since a national economic work meeting held at
the end of last year, Chinese policymakers have repeatedly stressed that the
country would "prioritise stability" in 2022.  The approach has already started to feed into
policy making, with Zhang Bo, Chief Engineer of the Ministry of Ecology and
Environment, telling reporters earlier this week that the country would not
impose strict water quality targets on local governments, and would instead
encourage them to "consolidate" previous gains. With energy supplies still a major concern
after a wave of shortages hit manufacturers last year, Xi also told Party
leaders that "the gradual withdrawal of traditional energy must be based
on the safe and reliable replacement by new energy." China has promised to accelerate the shift to
renewables, but will only start to reduce coal consumption - a major source of
CO2 - after 2025. China's state planning agency also said in
December that it will loosen blanket restrictions on energy consumption in
order to ensure environmental targets do not erode growth.