China and Climate Change: a Quest for Ecological Influence and Power

Over the past two decades, many analysts have pointed to a process of « climatisation » in international relations (Dahan, 2018), consisting of the emergence of a global awareness of climate change and a restructuring of international discussions around the climate issue. States can no longer ignore the issue as part of their strategies for influence and power, which must necessarily reconcile climate responsibility with national interest.

The last two decades have also seen the rise of China as one of the world’s major economic powers. This rise has been reflected in a sharp increase in its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which have led it to become the world’s largest emitter, emitting 30 % of the planet’s total GHGs3. By China’s growing awareness of environmental issues – in particular, the 2012 Constitution of the Chinese Communist Party introduced the concept of « ecological civilisation » – and by China’s rise to prominence in international climate talks: at COP15 in Copenhagen, China was still perceived as a blocking force in the agreements, but at COP21 it became a facilitating and indispensable player in the Paris Agreement (Gemenne, 2018)…