Aerial photo taken on Aug 19, 2020 shows wind turbines in Jiucaiping scenic spot in Southwest China's Guizhou province. [Photo/Xinhua]
Chinese and French experts have underscored the critical, urgent and necessary nature of addressing climate and environmental issues. This global challenge requires joint work between China, France and all countries to truly implement actions.
In a sub-forum titled "Multilateralism for low-carbon sustainable development", former French minister of economy Edmond Alphandery said the world needs multilateralism more than ever to address the "phenomenal challenge" of global warming.
He advocated a global carbon price for all countries, as well as a global sustainable trade organization to facilitate its establishment.
Hamouda Chekir, founding member of the Finance for Development Lab, said it is important to consider everything happening within developing countries to provide them with necessary tools to engage in dialogue and collaborate.
However, addressing environmental issues requires tackling other existing challenges, he said, such as poverty and healthcare. Additionally, broader issues such as migration, trade and their position in the value chain need to be addressed as well.
Therefore, for developing countries, sustainable development requires a comprehensive global response, in which multilateral institutions play a key role, he said.
Zhang Yansheng, former secretary-general of the Academic Committee of the National Development and Reform Commission of China, said carbon tariffs should be free from protectionism and geopolitical considerations.
Zhang called for the practice of multilateralism, for example, by soliciting views from companies in different countries. He highlighted the importance of considering local conditions while promoting low-carbon sustainable development goals.
He said he hopes that through Sino-French cooperation, green initiatives can spread to Africa and become a global endeavor.
Wang Wen, executive dean of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, said China's low-carbon development has undergone transformative changes in the past five years.
Sonia Bressler, president of the publishing house La Route de la Soie, said, "Starting again with the notion of global governance, and ultimately saying that what governs us all is nature."
