China and its climate leadership in a changing world

Substantial changes are underway in a number of countries and in international politics. Time is also running short for the global community to tackle climate change. Donald Trump’s election as US president and the US’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement has cast a long shadow over international climate cooperation and diplomacy. The world community is looking to China to help fill the leadership vacuum in international climate politics.

This discussion paper seeks to provide a list of concrete recommendations for operationalising China’s global climate leadership and the rationale for why China should go for it. It takes as its starting point China’s role as a constructive shaper of the global governance regime, which not only represents the new strategic direction in China’s foreign policy, but also challenges and opportunities for European countries in exploring shared leadership with China.

It is also available in Chinese: 时代变革下的中国及其气候领导力--从被动的跟随者到全球秩序的关键塑造者