Xie Zhenhua, China's special
representative on climate change, called for more public involvement in the
fight against climate change while speaking during a sideline event at the
Conference of the Parties (COP24) to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate
Change, being held in Katowice, Poland.
Xie Zhenhua, China's special representative on climate change, makes a speech at the China Pavilion at the COP24 conference in Katowice, Poland on Dec. 7, 2018. [Photo by Han Lin/China.org.cn]
Xie Zhenhua, China's special representative on climate
change, called for more public involvement in the fight against climate change
while speaking during a sideline event at the Conference of the Parties (COP24)
to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, being held in Katowice,
Poland.
During a conference session on climate change
communication and public participation at the China Pavilion for the COP24, Xie
said he believed the government should offer greater respect to the public's
right to know by providing full transparency on climate change information and
solicit opinions when developing environmental protection laws and policies.
The Climate Change in Chinese Minds Survey Report 2017,
released in November last year by the China Center for Climate Change
Communication (China4C), shows high public awareness of climate change.
Over 90 percent of the 4,025 respondents supported
implementation of the "Paris Agreement", and 94 percent have a strong
desire to learn more about climate change, especially the expected impact on their
lives.
Xie's opinion was echoed by Zheng Baowei, professor at
Renmin University of China and also Dean of the journalism school of Guangxi
University. He said the public represented a major force in tackling climate
change alongside the government, media, social organizations and enterprises.
Xie said he hoped public awareness could be translated
into more concrete action. He called on everyone to act immediately to adopt a
low-carbon life style and abandon unreasonable and wasteful consumption.