17 - China and Global Climate Change Governance

Summary

As an essential player of global climate change governance, China has been proactive in climate change policymaking and has improved its climate governance through progressive policy measures and institution building both domestically and internationally. This shows China’s transformation from a norm-follower to a positive participant and further normative contributor to global climate change governance. Particularly, China has steadily exerted its influence on global climate change governance by adopting two governance approaches – a top-down governance approach and a multi-stakeholder engagement approach – in union. With Chinese corporations and financial institutions’ evolving participation in green investment and agenda-setting in global climate governance, China’s mixed governance approach can further improve its climate governance regime from a state-led climate governance system to a co-governance system. Through a more flexible framework with the involvement of different actors, China and other leading partners can create a broader foundation for policy cooperation to accelerate the reduction of carbon emissions and raise climate ambitions collectively.