In this new era of geopolitics and climate multilateralism, China's climate leadership is more important than ever, stressed Simon Stiell, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Stiell made the comment while delivering his keynote speech at Tsinghua University on Thursday.

Highlighting China's contribution to global climate advocacy, he noted the country's leadership in climate multilateralism, which has roughly halved projected global temperature rise over the past decade.

"China was integral to forging the Paris Agreement in 2015. And since then, you have been a leading light in its implementation. You have embraced climate action at home — driving jobs, high living-standards, and economic growth," he emphasized.

China's clean energy transformation has been breathtaking: investments have almost doubled within a decade, reaching more than $625 billion in 2024 and on course to keep growing, he continued.

"That's not just a climate strategy. That's an industrial strategy, a jobs programme, and a development plan," he stated.

He continued by highlighting China's contribution to promoting energy transition and climate resilience in the Global South.

Through South-South cooperation, China has supported the transition to clean energy and climate resilience in developing countries, he noted, adding that the Belt and Road Initiative has made immense investments.

"In short, China has played a major role in advancing global energy transition to a point which is now irreversible — as all nations declared at COP30 last year," he remarked.

COP30 stands for the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which was held in Brazil late last year.

Stiell said China faces an immense opportunity as a fossil fuel cost crisis grips the world, sparked by war in the Middle East.

Wise long-term vision and investment have helped Chinese renewables protect people from some of the worst effects of the crisis. Electric vehicles should save China over $28 billion in oil import costs this year alone, he noted.

Against this backdrop, demand for China's technologies is booming. "This is a moment of real opportunity: politically, commercially and environmentally. Because momentum is building to accelerate a just global transition to clean energy and climate resilience," he underscored.

It is in every country's interest to seize this moment for prosperity and for stability, he said. That requires doubling-down on climate multilateralism, building on all it has achieved to date and supercharging implementation of the Paris Agreement.

"This is an era to speed-up, and scale-up — rapidly turning global commitments into real-world results," he said.

He listed electrification, slashing methane, building resilient cities and infrastructure and food security as areas of greatest urgency and impact.

"In each of these areas, China is pushing global progress and farsighted Chinese investments and policies are already paying dividends," he noted.

The dividends can be multiplied, he stressed, by maintaining and expanding Chinese leadership at COP31 in Turkiye late this year, and in the crucial years leading up to the Second Global Stocktake at COP33, by continuing to develop affordable solutions, and by Chinese companies and investors coming to COP31 to secure agreements and partnerships.

"Stability, prosperity and security are the prize of an accelerated global shift. And China's actions will change the world," he said.