China News Service's flagship program, News Lounge, welcomed its first group of international guests since its overseas debut in Türkiye on Tuesday, holding a side event at the China Pavilion on the sidelines of COP31 in Antalya. The event, themed "Ecological Civilization and Beautiful China Practice," was jointly hosted by the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization and China News Service, with the Policy Research Center for Environment and Economy of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and China News Network as co-organizers, according to Media OutReach Newswire.
The event featured remarks by Huang Runqiu, minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, and was presided over by Li Gao, head of the Chinese Delegation to COP31 and vice minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment. Hu Jun, director general of the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization and the Policy Research Center for Environment and Economy, and Yu Lan, deputy editor-in-chief of China News Service and president of China News Network, also attended.
International guests included Simon Stiell, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; Chris Bowen, COP31 President of Negotiations and Australian Minister for Climate Change and Energy; and Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency. They shared perspectives on global climate governance and discussed opportunities arising from China's green transition, agreeing that multilateral cooperation is essential and that China's ecological and energy transition offers actionable lessons.
Stiell praised China's practical green transition efforts, saying its energy transition achievements are "like nowhere else on Earth." He noted that China has long been a firm friend of multilateralism and that its South-South cooperation has supported clean energy and climate resilience in many developing countries. He also highlighted China's commitment to strive for enhanced outcomes beyond its updated nationally determined contribution, calling it a sign of wisdom and foresight. His full remarks are available in this video interview.
Stewart Maginnis, deputy director-general of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, said what impressed him about China's ecological civilization is not merely a green agenda but a strategic choice and a fundamental asset of coexistence. He emphasized that people can prosper without undermining ecosystems, adding that environmental protection and economic development need not compete in China. He praised China's ecological restoration work, which covers forests, rivers, and wetlands, and goes beyond tree planting to removing pressures that prevent ecosystems from functioning effectively, as he explained in his interview.
Fatih Birol of the IEA highlighted the global trend of electrification, noting that China has achieved remarkable progress in electric vehicles, renewable energy, and battery storage, with competitive industrial chains covering hydropower, solar, wind power, energy storage, and clean fuels. He said the world is entering the electric age and called on all countries to build consensus and jointly set targets for electrification. Birol's comments were captured in this video.
Chris Bowen, COP31 President of Negotiations, recognized China's key role in the global renewable energy transition. Citing the IEA's Renewables 2025 report, he said global renewable energy capacity will expand by 4,600 gigawatts between 2025 and 2030, with China pivotal due to its scale and influence. He noted that China's sustained investment in renewables and efforts to bring down solar and battery costs support its own deep decarbonization while delivering benefits across the globe. His remarks are available in this interview.
Laura Clarke, chief executive officer of ClientEarth, said China has witnessed a remarkable green transition and become a global leader in green technology, adding that China's ambitions for ecological civilization and Beautiful China have major global implications and show the economic opportunities in green and low-carbon sectors.
Barbara Vrede, global head of Social Impact and Sustainability Strategy at Novartis, emphasized the close link between human and planetary health. She highlighted Novartis' Sichuan Forestry Carbon Sink, Community and Biodiversity Project, launched in 2010, which has established nearly 4,000 hectares of forest, planted approximately 21 million trees, benefited more than 4,200 households and over 18,000 residents, and generated about 40 million yuan in labor income for local communities, according to this report.
Yamide Dagnet, senior vice president, international, at the Natural Resources Defense Council, described COP31 as an "implementation and transition COP," stressing that climate action must put people at the center and bring local communities along in the green transition. She said the concept of a just transition aligns with China's ecological civilization and expressed hope that China's experience could help other countries through South-South and South-North cooperation.
The event marked a meaningful breakthrough in News Lounge's international outreach, leveraging a major multilateral platform to translate China's ecological progress into resonant narratives for a global audience.
