China is considering whether to enter the race to host the 33rd U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP33) in 2028, foreign media reported. With South Korean local governments already competing for the event, attention is turning to whether China will formally join the contest.
Internal Talks Under Way
Bloomberg reported on the 21st, citing sources familiar with the matter, that Chinese authorities are holding internal discussions on whether to pursue a COP33 bid. The plan is still at an early stage of discussion and would require the backing of the government's top leadership, Bloomberg added.
COP is an annual global climate conference bringing together the 197 countries and the European Union that are party to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. COP31 will be held in Turkey this November, and COP32 is scheduled to take place in Ethiopia next year.
India had initially been seen as the front-runner to host COP33. But New Delhi abruptly abandoned its bid in April, leaving the COP33 presidency vacant. China is now seen as looking for an opening to step in.
China is eyeing the void left by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, who withdrew from the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change at the start of his second term, calling climate change "a hoax." Beijing aims to lead international climate discussions in place of a United States that has retreated from climate diplomacy. China has set a goal of significantly expanding its influence in global climate governance by 2030, Bloomberg reported.
Some analysts say hosting COP33 could give China a chance to improve its image as a "climate villain." China was the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases in 2024, accounting for 29.2% of the global total. That far outpaced the second- and third-ranked United States (11.1%) and India (8.2%).
China Eyes a 'Climate Leader' Role, But...
At the same time, China is the country expanding renewable energy, a carbon-free power source, in the largest volume and at the fastest pace. According to the China Electricity Construction Enterprise Association, solar and wind accounted for 47.3% of the 3.8 billion kilowatts of new generation capacity China added last year, surpassing thermal power capacity for the first time. Imports of Chinese-made renewable energy equipment also surged after a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz destabilized supplies of Middle Eastern crude oil and gas.
China is using the Middle East energy crisis as an opportunity to further strengthen the influence of its overseas infrastructure expansion project, the Belt and Road Initiative. According to research by the University of Queensland in Australia and the Shanghai-based Green Finance & Development Center, green energy accounted for $20.1 billion (about 27.8 trillion won) of China's Belt and Road contracts in the first half of this year, a record high. The main targets are developing countries that have relied largely on energy imports from the Middle East.
For a China aiming to be a "climate leader," expanding its influence in developing countries carries significant weight, as the damage from climate change is concentrated in those nations. China has also joined with the United Nations to compensate the "Global South" for climate-related losses.
A Double-Edged Sword
Yet hosting COP33 could backfire on China. As COP president, its climate policies would face closer scrutiny. In fact, China drew criticism for setting a conservative reduction target of 7% to 10% by 2035 in the nationally determined contribution (NDC) it submitted to the United Nations. Although China's greenhouse gas emissions have declined recently, they are likely to turn upward again due to rising electricity demand and the expansion of carbon-intensive chemical manufacturing, Bloomberg noted. That could invite criticism that China is trying to use the climate conference as a "greenwash" opportunity. If China concludes it stands to lose more than it gains, it may see little reason to take the gamble.
For South Korea, with local governments including Yeosu and Jeju Province having joined the race for COP33, attention is expected to focus on whether China emerges as an actual competitor. Yeosu is pursuing a joint bid across the southern coast under the banner of a co-hosting effort involving 11 cities and counties in regions including South Jeolla and South Gyeongsang provinces.
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