China and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have been maintaining proactive and productive cooperation in combating climate change, said a Chinese official on the sidelines of the ongoing Paris Climate Change Conference on Dec. 1.

Xie Zhenhua, China's climate change special representative, speaks on the sidelines of the Paris Climate Change Conference on Dec. 1, 2015. [Photo by Wang Fang/China.org.cn]

Xie Zhenhua, China's climate change special representative, applauded the ADB's support in protecting the environment and tackling climate change in the past 30 years as the organization helped China compile the greenhouse gas emissions list, establish emissions reduction measures and cultivate talent in the field.

The ADB has provided funding of about US$2 billion to China, which helped the country reduce carbon emissions up to 25 million tons from 2011 to 2015, according to Ayumi Konishi, director-general of ADB's East Asia Regional Department.

Konishi added that the ADB also helped establish the renewable energy and urban energy systems and launch three pilot schemes for carbon trading.

China began piloting carbon trading in 2011 and approved seven schemes in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Guangdong and Hubei.

Transactions of the seven pilots totaled about 1.2 billion yuan (US$188.9 million), involving gas emission quotas of 40.24 million tons by this August, according to an annual report released by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

"The schemes are operating smoothly thanks to support from the ADB and expertise of the European Union," said Xie.

The climate change representative also hopes that the ADB could boost South-South Cooperation and focus on R&D, innovation and technology transference to help developing countries tackle climate change.

Wang Fang contributed to the story.