碳中和背景下中欧气候合作的潜力与挑战

The Potential and Challenges of China-EU Climate Cooperation in the Context of Carbon Neutrality

能源、环境和气候变化机制一直是中国与发达国家构建双边和多边伙伴关系的关键工具。随着中欧双边关系的长期磨合和日渐成熟,气候议题逐渐进入双方合作的核心舞台,经历了对话机制不断升级、合作范围不断扩大、伙伴关系日益深入的过程。2020年前后欧盟和中国相继作出碳中和承诺,极大鼓舞了全球的气候行动,推动全球低碳发展进入新常态,也给双方深化合作提供了战略机遇。中欧在能源转型、能源效率、清洁能源和技术、低碳交通、低碳城市、循环经济、碳市场、绿色金融、第三方市场合作等领域存在巨大的合作空间。但欧盟对华政策的变化、全球低碳和数字技术的激烈竞争、国际地缘政治形势的复杂化以及中美关系的持续紧张都影响中欧气候合作的深度和广度。中欧双方需要秉持《巴黎协定》精神,共同推动建立基于规则的国际气候新秩序,并充分发挥既有双多边合作机制的作用,加强各层级的沟通与务实合作,使气候合作免受政治干扰,充分激发合作潜力,创造碳中和机遇下的双赢格局。

Energy,environment and climate change have been the key tools for developed countries to establish bilateral and multilateral partnerships.As China-EU relations are becoming gradually mature through a long-term harmonization process,the climate issue has become the focal area of their bilateral cooperation,with dialogue mechanisms keep optimizing,areas of cooperation widening,and partnership deepening.The commitment to carbon neutrality made by the EU and China,circa 2020,tremendously inspired global climate movements,expediated the entry of global low-carbon development into a new normal,and provided strategic opportunity to deepen cooperation.Vast space for China-EU cooperation can be found in areas such as energy transition,energy efficiency,clean energy and technology,low-carbon transportation,low-carbon cities,circular economy,carbon market,green finance,and third-party market cooperation.However,the width and depth of China-EU cooperation are subject to changes in EU ’s policy towards China,to the fierce competition in global low carbon areas and digital technology,and to the complicating global geopolitical situation as well as the continuing tension between China and the US.It is necessary for both China and the EU to develop a new order of global climate through joint efforts based on regulations pursuant to the spirit of the Paris Agreement,for a win-win outcome under the opportunity of carbon neutrality to be accomplished by taking advantage of the existing bilateral and multilateral mechanisms,strengthening communication and pragmatic cooperation at all levels,avoiding political interferences,and by unlocking the potential for cooperation.