Xi Jinping, China
“We’ve got over 120 world leaders who are already committed to come to this, some of those from countries where it is a more arduous journey than for some others,” Sharma said at the press conference when as about China’s President Xi Jinping. “So of course we want to see him [to come].”
China’s president ended weeks of speculation and said he will attend COP26—just not in person. He’s going to join by video, which honestly is relatable. Generally, I’m supportive of flying less, and the pandemic has certainly shown us that remote work can be just as engaging as in-person. Maybe China’s president is concerned about covid-19 or underlying health conditions, so really who am I to judge if he’s going virtual?
Still, the country is the world’s top emitter and a good agreement at Glasgow depends on China and the U.S. (the world’s largest historical emitter) being engaged. China offered a new climate commitment ahead of the conference, but Li Shuo, Greenpace China’s policy adviser, told the New York Times it was a “missed an opportunity to demonstrate ambition” that “casts a shadow on the global climate effort.”
