On November 15, 2024, the 12th High-level Forum on South-South Cooperation on Climate Change was successfully convened at the China Pavilion during the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu attended and addressed the forum, while Mr. Zhao Yingmin, Vice Minister of Ecology and Environment and Head of the Chinese Delegation to COP29, chaired the event. Mr. Li Yonghong, Deputy Director-General of the Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, also participated and moderated the thematic discussion session.

Minister Huang Runqiu emphasized that enhancing South-South cooperation is a critical measure for addressing the climate crisis, advancing multilateral climate governance, and fostering international collaboration. It serves as an important pathway for jointly promoting the implementation of the UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement, building multilateral consensus, and deepening practical cooperation. As a responsible developing country, China remains committed to implementing its national strategy for addressing climate change, steadfastly fulfilling the "dual carbon" goals, and actively advancing the "10-100-1000" Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping. China continues to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with Africa, small island states, ASEAN regions, and others, actively responds to the "Early Warnings for All" initiative, and provides strong support to developing countries in tackling climate change.

Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Jorge Moreira da Silva, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell, CEO of COP29 Elnur Soltanov, Deputy Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Liu Hua, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF Kitty van der Heijden, Director of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) Dima Al-Khatib, and ministerial or ministerial-level representatives from countries including Nigeria, Seychelles, Chad, Brazil, Laos, Uganda, and Antigua and Barbuda attended the forum. During the event, China and Nigeria signed a MoU on South-South Cooperation on Climate Change, agreeing to jointly develop the Lekki Low-Carbon Demonstration Zone as a model of South-South cooperation to accelerate green and low-carbon transition.

The forum also featured three thematic discussions: “Advancing Low-Carbon Energy Transition through the ‘Africa Solar Belt’ Program”, “Practical Cooperation on ‘Clean Cookstoves’ to Support Sustainable Development”, and “Zero-Carbon Island Cooperation: Creating Best Practices in Global Climate Governance”. Representatives from organizations including the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the UNDP Sustainable Energy Hub, the UNIDO Investment and Technology Promotion Office (ITPO), the Ministry of Climate Resilience, The Environment & Renewable Energy of Grenada, the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) of Nigeria, the Ministry of Hydraulics, Energy and Mines of Burundi, the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre of Nepal, the World Bioenergy Association, the African Climate Foundation, the ClimateWorks Foundation, the World Resources Institute, the People’s Bank of China, the Silk Road Fund, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Hengfeng Bank, and Tailing Group participated in the discussions.

The forum was co-organized by the Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation, and the Yantai Municipal People’s Government, with support from institutions including the ClimateWorks Foundation and the World Resources Institute.