Xie Zhenhua | |
---|---|
解振华 | |
![]() Xie in 2014 | |
Born | 1949 |
Occupation | Chinese representative on climate change |
Xie Zhenhua (Chinese: 解振华; born 1949) is a Chinese politician who served as vice-chairman of China's top economic development body, the National Development and Reform Commission. He is China's special climate envoy.
Biography
Xie Zhenhua was born in Tianjin. During the Cultural Revolution he was put to work on the countryside.[1] He graduated in 1977 from Tsinghua University with an Engineering Physics degree.
Xie was appointed head of the State Environmental Protection Administration in 1998, where he was noted for successfully holding companies to environmental rules, but was eventually forced to resign after the 2005 Jilin chemical plant explosions.[2]
In 2007 Xie was appointed vice minister at the National Development and Reform Commission. In 2015 he stepped down from this position to focus on being a Chinese representative on climate change.[3] He was the lead negotiator for China at most United Nations Climate Change Conferences since 2009. In 2019 he was replaced by his aide Zhao Yingmin,[1][4][5] before returning to the role for COP26.
Xie's role has been positively received among foreign politicians and climate change activists, as he has been a driver behind China signing binding commitments to reduce emissions. Xie is seen as "China's voice on climate change".[3] His speech at the 2010 climate conference in South Africa attracted notability and praise among other developing country envoys:[1][3][6]
We are developing countries. We need to develop and eradicate poverty while protecting the environment. We’ve done what we should do, but you [developed countries] haven’t. What right do you have to lecture us?
References
- ^ a b c Waarlo, Niels (2021-11-04). "Westerse landen moeten in de spiegel kijken, vindt de man achter China's klimaatambities". de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 2021-11-05.
- ^ "环保总局局长解振华辞职". Tencent (in Chinese). 2005-12-03.
- ^ a b c Li, Jane. "China's Xie Zhenhua is the most important person attending COP26". Quartz. Retrieved 2021-11-05.
- ^ "Copenhagen climate conference: The key players". The Guardian. 2009-11-30. Retrieved 2014-02-18.
- ^ "Zhao Yingmin has replaced Xie Zhenhua as head of the Chinese UNFCCC delegation – Sino-German Cooperation on Climate Change, Environment, and Natural Resources". Retrieved 2021-11-06.
- ^ "China's Climate Calculation". Wall Street Journal. 2015-12-08. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2021-11-05.