Climate Crisis

Beijing battered by heaviest rain in 140 years as China denies obstructing climate discussions

China accounts for more than half of global coal production but has bristled at calls to cut emissions

A traditional gate is inundated by flood waters in the Miaofengshan area on the outskirts of Beijing. Photograph: Ng Han Guan/AP/PA

David Stanway
Wed Aug 2 2023 - 08:23

Reports that China obstructed discussions on tackling climate change at Group of 20 (G20) meetings last week in India are “completely inconsistent with the facts”, China’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

After three days of discussions on issues like cutting emissions and fossil fuel use, as well as climate finance to support poorer nations, the group of major nations failed to issue a joint communique or deliver any new pledges.

The group acknowledged in a statement after their talks that measures to address climate change were “insufficient”.

Members of a European delegation said that China and oil-rich Saudi Arabia had backed away from making commitments at the meetings but China rejected that.

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Eyewitness video from Zhuozhou, near the Chinese capital of Beijing, has captured the damage caused by the ongoing historic floods. Video: Eyepress

The foreign ministry said in a statement it “regrets” the failure to reach an agreement at the meetings, which was caused by “geopolitical issues” brought up by other countries “for no reason”.

China, which accounts for more than half of global coal production, has bristled at calls to do more to cut greenhouse gases, saying its historical and per capita CO2 emissions are still lower than those of the United States.

The foreign ministry said the G20 should build political consensus among members and “fully respect the different development stages and national conditions of countries”.

Parts of China, including its capital, have been battered this week by the heaviest rain in 140 years, the Beijing Meteorological Service said, the latest bout of extreme weather from around the world to raise fears about the pace of global warming.

Beijing recorded 744.8 millimetres (29.3 inches) of rain between Saturday and Wednesday morning, the bureau said on Wednesday.

Local media reported that all flights in and out of Beijing's Daxing Airport were cancelled after Typhoon Doksuri dumped heavy rainfall on the Chinese capital.

The record rainfall comes as northern China has been deluged with heavy rains as the remnants of Typhoon Doksuri moved north after earlier hitting southern Chinese provinces.

In the capital, the rain has destroyed roads and knocked out power and pipes carrying drinking water.

Chinese authorities said the torrential rains around Beijing had caused at least 20 deaths and 27 people are missing.

Thousands of people were evacuated to shelters in schools and other public buildings in suburban Beijing and in nearby cities.

The severity of the flooding took the Chinese capital by surprise. Beijing usually has dry summers but had a stretch of record-breaking heat this year.

[ China hit by worst rainstorm in a decade after heatwave ]

China has pledged to bring its emissions to a peak before the end of the decade and become carbon-neutral by 2060.

But despite building record levels of new clean energy capacity, its fossil fuel consumption has continued to rise, with no plans to start cutting coal use until 2026.

US climate envoy John Kerry visited Beijing last month in a bid to restore trust between the two sides and build momentum for the COP28 climate talks in Dubai at the end of the year. – Agencies

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