Global Climate Leaders Spotlight China’s Green Transition at News Lounge Debut in Türkiye

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The side event Ecological Civilization and Beautiful China Practice is held at the China Pavilion on Nov.10, 2026, in Antalya, Türkiye, on the sidelines of the 31st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31). (Photo: Wang Qingkai, Xu Junjie)

ANTALYA, TÜRKİYE – China’s ecological and energy transition took center stage on the sidelines of COP31 as News Lounge, the flagship dialogue program of China News Service, made its overseas debut at the China Pavilion in Antalya on Tuesday.

Themed "Ecological Civilization and Beautiful China Practice," the forum brought together senior Chinese officials—including Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu and Vice Minister Li Gao—alongside top global climate and energy leaders to examine how China’s green momentum is shaping global climate governance.

UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell praised the scale and speed of Beijing's clean energy shift, calling China's achievements "like nowhere else on Earth." He noted that China’s South-South cooperation and domestic clean-tech innovation have helped drive down renewable energy costs worldwide while bolstering climate resilience in developing nations.

Echoing that sentiment, International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol declared that "the world is entering the electric age," crediting China's dominant supply chains in electric vehicles, solar, wind, and battery storage for lighting the path forward.

COP31 President of Negotiations and Australian Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen highlighted China's pivotal role in meeting surging global power demand—fueled in part by artificial intelligence—while curbing fossil fuel reliance. Citing IEA projections that global renewable capacity will expand by 4,600 gigawatts between 2025 and 2030, Bowen said China's sustained investments are lowering solar and battery costs to the benefit of the entire planet.

Beyond energy metrics, speakers underscored the socioeconomic value of conservation. IUCN Deputy Director-General Stewart Maginnis commended China's holistic restoration of forests, rivers, and wetlands, proving that economic prosperity and ecosystem protection can coexist.

Meanwhile, ClientEarth CEO Laura Clarke, Novartis’ Barbara Vrede, and NRDC Senior Vice President Yamide Dagnet emphasized a people-centered, just transition. Vrede pointed to Novartis' long-running Sichuan forestry project—which has planted roughly 21 million trees and generated 40 million yuan in local labor income—as proof that environmental action delivers tangible community dividends.

By uniting policy voices, industry strategists, and environmental advocates on a major multilateral stage, News Lounge’s debut in Türkiye bridged cross-border perspectives on turning climate commitments into shared global prosperity. (*/ed).