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India, China leading energy transition, says COP30 president
Lago said that rich countries have lost enthusiasm for combating climate crisis while China is surging ahead in producing and using clean energy
China and India will be major markets that will lower the price of energy transition globally because both countries have embraced this transition in a very clear way, COP30 President, André Corrêa do Lago said on Monday, the opening day of COP30.
Responding to a question on the role China is assuming in the climate talks during a press conference, Lago said: “In an extraordinary way because they (China) added the elements that I believe were missing. One of them is scale, the other is technology and the other is the fact that a developing country needs to bring solutions that are affordable to more people. So I don’t need to say how important China has become for EVs, for solar panels, for wind, for batteries, but I think that there is also a consequence of that is quite important to stress is that by lowering, thanks to their scale, by lowering the price of all these essential elements in the transition, they are at the same time doing an amazing job of cooperation, international cooperation, because if the solar panel now has cost 90% less than a few years ago, much more people in the developing world can afford them,” Lago explained.
“Somehow you need less resources to get this done in many countries in the world, thanks to the reduction of the price. And then you can do other things in developing countries. So the contribution is really very significant because China has very advanced technology and has a scale that can only be compared to India,” Lago said while adding: “And India is somehow doing the same because they also have brilliant companies and engineers and incredible people and they are going in the same direction. So we are going to have two major markets that will lower the price of this transition because both countries have embraced this transition in a very clear way.”
Earlier in the day, Lago told media that the rich countries have lost enthusiasm for combating climate crisis while China is surging ahead in producing and using clean energy.
HT reported on Monday that observers believe that China, the largest greenhouse gas emitter, is positioning itself to fill the void created by the US, especially because it also has economic interest in the green transition. “Earlier this year, at a COP event in April 2025 - the Leaders’ Summit on Climate and Just Transitions, President Xi Jinping made a strong pitch for China to remain committed to global climate goals. Xi has also called out the protectionist stances of powers of the free circulation of high-quality green products,” said Pooja Vijay Ramamurthi, fellow, Centre For Social and Economic Progress.
China may call for the continuance of multilateral platforms, calling for countries to encourage constructive climate negotiations. Rather than keeping a low profile, it is expected that China will portray itself a champion of green transitions, given that other major powers such as the US are backing down, she added.
