Expert Interpretation Unswervingly Implementing the National Strategy to Actively Address Climate Change Actively Do a Good Job in Adapting to Climate Change

Recently, 17 departments including the Ministry of Ecology and Environment jointly issued the "National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change 2035" (hereinafter referred to as "Adaptation Strategy 2035").
To make a systematic plan for climate change adaptation in 2018 will strongly promote China's climate change adaptation work
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"Adaptation Strategy 2035" is an important measure to implement the national strategy to actively address climate change

Climate change is one of the severe challenges facing mankind today, and it is a global consensus to actively address climate change
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China has always attached great importance to addressing climate change, insisting on both mitigating and adapting to climate change, and continuing to implement the national strategy for actively addressing climate change
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The "14th Five-Year Plan" and the outline of the long-term goals for 2035 clearly propose to "strengthen the observation and assessment of the impact of global warming on the vulnerable regions of China, and improve the ability of urban and rural construction, agricultural production, and infrastructure to adapt to climate change" to adapt to climate change.
According to the work requirements, the "Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Deepening the Battle of Pollution Prevention and Control" also takes "the formulation of a national climate change adaptation strategy 2035 and vigorously promoting low-carbon and climate change adaptation pilot work" as an important task
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Adaptation and mitigation are the two major strategies to deal with climate change
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Mitigation emphasizes reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing sinks, while adaptation emphasizes preventing and reducing the adverse impacts and risks of climate change.
The two complement each other and are indispensable
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At the same time as the country is currently promoting carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and other 17 ministries and commissions jointly issued the "Adaptation Strategy 2035", which is an important measure to implement the national strategy to actively respond to climate change and strengthen the work of adapting to climate change
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The "Adaptation Strategy 2035" clarifies the guiding ideology, basic principles, objectives and tasks, and safeguard measures for China's adaptation to climate change under the new situation and new stage, and points out the direction for the next step in adaptation to climate change.
It is of great significance to improve the ability to cope with the adverse effects and risks of climate change, and to help the construction of ecological civilization, the construction of a beautiful China and the high-quality economic development
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Adaptation Strategy 2035 is an important guide to effectively prevent the adverse impacts and risks of climate change

As the global temperature continues to rise, climate change has brought serious adverse effects and risks to human beings, and has been transmitted from natural ecosystems to economic and social systems in a "risk cascade" manner, posing a serious threat to the safety of people's lives and property
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China is located in a climate-sensitive area in the world, and the ecological environment is fragile as a whole and vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change
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According to statistics, the average annual direct economic loss caused by extreme weather and climate events in China is about 300 billion yuan
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With the further warming of the global climate, the long-term adverse effects and sudden extreme events brought about by climate change will pose increasingly serious threats to China's economic and social development and the safety of people's production and life
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In order to promote adaptation to climate change, in 2013, China issued the National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change, which for the first time raised adaptation to climate change to a national strategic level, and promoted key areas and regions to actively explore adaptation actions that seek benefits and avoid disadvantages.
Good influence and demonstration effect have also achieved positive progress and results
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However, it should also be noted that there are still problems in China's adaptation to climate change, such as insufficient analysis and assessment of climate change impacts and risks, the need to improve the coordination mechanism and governance system, and the need to further strengthen the awareness and action of adaptation to climate change
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The "Adaptation Strategy 2035" takes into account different dimensions such as climate risk and adaptation, key areas and regional patterns, natural ecology, economic society, etc.
, and clarifies the key tasks and safeguard measures for future adaptation to climate change.
Adverse effects and risks provide important guidance
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Among them, the "Adaptation Strategy 2035" has a separate chapter on "strengthening climate change monitoring, early warning and risk management" and placed it in a prominent position, reflecting the emphasis on climate change observation, monitoring, early warning, impact and risk assessment, emergency disaster prevention and mitigation and other work.
degree
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Dividing key areas into two dimensions: natural ecology and economic society, and adding urban and rural living environment and sensitive secondary and tertiary industries such as finance, energy, tourism, and transportation as key areas for adaptation to climate change, will help further improve the adaptability of various fields
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Combining adaptation to climate change with national territorial space planning, and in accordance with the principles of comprehensive coverage and prominent focus, the task of adapting to climate change in eight major regions and five major strategic regions across the country has been proposed, and a multi-level regional pattern of adapting to climate change has been constructed
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"Adaptation Strategy 2035" is an important manifestation of my country's initiative to undertake the international responsibility for climate change

Adaptation is an important topic in international negotiations on climate change
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The Paris Agreement has established global adaptation goals on improving climate change adaptation capacity, enhancing resilience and reducing climate change vulnerability, requiring Parties to develop adaptation planning plans, take various adaptation actions, and regularly submit and update adaptation communications
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The Glasgow Resolution document, reached at the end of 2021, re-emphasized the need for Parties to further integrate climate change adaptation into local, national and regional planning
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Compared with the global benefits of mitigation, climate impacts and risks and adaptation actions are more regional, and developing countries generally lack the ability to adapt to climate change, knowledge, experience, capital and technology, and are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.
attention and support for climate change; while developed countries pay more attention to mitigation and require large developing countries to assume greater responsibility for emission reductions, pay less attention to adaptation issues and promote international adaptation actions, and blindly delay and avoid their provision of funds , technology, and capacity building support obligations
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Therefore, balancing mitigation and adaptation is one of the important issues in the current global climate governance process
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China has always adhered to both mitigation and adaptation, taking climate change adaptation as an important part of implementing the national strategy to actively address climate change, and actively participating in and promoting international cooperation and contributing to China while promoting domestic climate change adaptation
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China and relevant countries jointly initiated the establishment of the Global Adaptation Committee to jointly promote the international community to increase efforts to adapt to climate change and strengthen partnerships
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Through South-South cooperation on climate change, China has also provided support and assistance within its capacity to other developing countries in adapting to climate change through gratuitous assistance with materials to adapt to climate change and capacity building activities
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The issuance of the "Adaptation Strategy 2035" shows China's determination and attitude to adhere to both mitigation and adaptation, actively promote adaptation to climate change, and contribute Chinese solutions and Chinese wisdom to the international community, especially developing countries
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Promote the implementation of the "Adaptation Strategy 2035" and increase the initiative and enthusiasm for adapting to climate change

The "Adaptation Strategy 2035" clarifies the key tasks and objectives of adaptation to climate change from the present to 2035, and provides a blueprint and guidance for the next step in adaptation to climate change
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Facing the current increasingly severe climate crisis, we must thoroughly implement Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, fully, accurately and comprehensively implement the new development concept, further increase the initiative and enthusiasm for adapting to climate change, and accelerate the modernization of the governance system and governance capacity for addressing climate change.
Continue to strengthen the climate resilience of natural ecosystems and economic and social systems, and strive to promote the formation of a new pattern of harmonious coexistence between man and nature
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The "Adaptation Strategy 2035" proposes to improve the coordination mechanism for climate change adaptation, explore and establish a climate change adaptation information sharing mechanism, regularly conduct climate change adaptation policy and action assessments, deepen the pilot projects of climate adaptable cities, etc.
, and further strengthen fiscal and financial Support, scientific and technological support, capacity building and international cooperation and other safeguard measures
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Relevant departments and localities should further improve their understanding of climate change adaptation, integrate climate change adaptation into all aspects of ecological environmental protection and economic and social development, actively implement and innovate various adaptation measures, improve their ability to adapt to climate change, and effectively respond to climate change.
Adverse impacts and risks, reduce and reduce the disaster losses of extreme weather and climate events, and provide favorable guarantees for economic and social development and the safety of people's production and life
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(Author: Xu Huaqing, Zhou Zeyu <National Climate Strategy Center>)