SINGAPORE, Sept 22 (Reuters) - The complete phasing-out of fossil fuels is not realistic, China's top climate official said, adding that these climate-warming fuels must continue to play a vital role in maintaining global energy security.
China is the world's biggest consumer of fossil fuels including coal and oil, and its special climate envoy Xie Zhenhua was responding to comments by ambassadors at a forum in Beijing on Thursday ahead of the COP28 climate meeting in Dubai in November.
The stocktake will be at the centre of discussions at the COP28 climate meeting, with campaigners hoping it will create the political will to set clear targets to end coal and oil use.
"It is unrealistic to completely phase out fossil fuel energy," said Xie, who will represent China at COP28 this year.
At climate talks in Glasgow in 2021, China led efforts to change the language of the final agreement from "phasing out" to "phasing down" fossil fuels.
Persons:
Xie Zhenhua, Xie, John Kerry, Nancy Pelosi's, David Stanway, Miral
Organizations:
Reuters, U.S, Thomson
Locations:
SINGAPORE, China, Beijing, Dubai, COP28, Glasgow, United States, Taiwan