This archive report was first published on 12 November 2021.
Leaders from 21 nations, including US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, are set to begin a virtual summit on Friday, November 12, 2021, in Wellington, New Zealand.
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit aims to address climate change and pandemic recovery, with a focus on green, low-carbon, and sustainable development.
Xi Jinping emphasized the need for a science-based response to climate change, stating, "We in the Asia-Pacific should make the post-pandemic recovery a green one and take the lead in making a science-based response to climate change."
South Korean President Moon Jae-in described the transition to clean energy as a "great transformation of civilization" affecting all of humanity.
However, the major climate-related reform announced so far is a freeze on fossil fuel subsidies, an idea first proposed over a decade ago but yet to be implemented.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern acknowledged that the action does not go far enough, saying, "Do we need to be more ambitious than this? Absolutely."
Climate Council of Australia ecologist Lesley Hughes called for a blueprint for real change in the APEC communique, stating, "We'd like to see some sort of sensible transition right out of fossil fuel, not just a freeze on more subsidies."
The summit comes against the backdrop of growing competition between the United States and China, with tensions over Taiwan, human rights, and trade.
Xi Jinping warned against a return to Cold War-era divisions in the Asia-Pacific, stating, "Attempts to draw ideological lines or form small circles on geopolitical grounds are bound to fail."
