China and EU agree to deepen environmental cooperation at ministerial dialogue

China and the European Union (EU) renewed their commitment to environmental cooperation during the 10th environment policy ministerial dialogue held last Friday in Brussels, the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment said Tuesday.

The dialogue, co-chaired by Chinese Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu and Jessika Roswall, Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy of the European Commission, focused on key areas such as biodiversity conservation, implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, negotiations for an international plastic pollution agreement, environmental pollution control, and multilateral environmental governance.

Both sides applauded the tangible results that have been achieved under the guidance of the High-level Environment and Climate Dialogue between China and the EU.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU. Huang called for greater unity and joint action against the backdrop of mounting global environmental and climate challenges.

Huang urged both sides to better leverage the mechanism to fulfill the objectives set by the high-level dialogue, expand pragmatic cooperation in key areas, promote multilateral environmental governance, and build exchange platforms in a bid to bolster the foundation for China-EU environmental collaboration.

Roswall recognized China's leading role in securing the historic Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and stressed the need for increased financial support to ensure the framework's implementation.

Roswall also emphasized further cooperation with China in the areas such as negotiations for an international plastic pollution agreement, air and chemical pollution control, water resource protection, and deforestation-free supply chains to advance global efforts in environmental and climate governance.