Hoekstra Defends EU’s Influence on China Ahead of COP30
EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra dismissed criticism of his approach to engaging China, stating at a recent event in Brussels, “we tend to overestimate our ability to, at scale, influence [China’s] decision-making,” reports 24brussels.
Hoekstra’s skepticism about EU influence reflects broader concerns regarding climate action, especially as China accounts for about 30 percent of global emissions. He remarked, “if then the response is a 7 to 10 [percent reduction of emissions], it’s really hard, even if you want to make as much of a diplomatic effort as possible, to do as if that is enough.”
According to an unnamed Commission official, discussions are ongoing between Hoekstra’s team and Chinese representatives regarding a bilateral meeting ahead of COP30. However, plans for a meeting in Brazil on Monday were hindered as China is not sending a representative with ministerial rank. A ministerial climate summit, led by Canada, China, and the EU, is scheduled for later this month in Toronto, which may provide an opportunity for direct talks.
Contrastingly, Hoekstra’s relationship with China differs from that of Executive Vice President Teresa Ribera, who recently conducted a meeting with former Chinese climate envoy Xie Zhenhua in Brussels, marking a significant deviation from standard protocol. In July, after Hoekstra indicated that the EU would refrain from signing a joint statement with China unless more ambitious commitments were made, Ribera facilitated an agreement that China did not concede.
Ribera emphasized the importance of COP30 in projecting a united front against the fossil fuel revisionism of the previous U.S. administration led by Donald Trump.
