UK Energy Minister in Beijing to Invite Chinese Officials for Climate Talks: Can This Counter Trump’s Policies?

UK Energy Minister Ed Miliband met officials in Beijing on March 17 to urge them to press China on its emissions and address sensitive issues such as Hong Kong and forced labour.

Since becoming Prime Minister in July, Keir Starmer has prioritised engagement with China, despite concerns over security and human rights crackdowns, reported AFP.

China, the world's second-largest economy, also a renewable energy powerhouse and aims to reach net zero by 2060 despite being the largest emitter of the greenhouse gases.

The UK has pledged to decarbonise completely by 2050 and has accelerated its transition to clean energy sources, claiming that this shift will revitalise its flagging economy.

On March 17, Miliband met with Wang Hongzhi, head of Beijing's National Energy Administration, to kick off the China-UK Energy Dialogue. This meeting is expected to be first of many regular discussions on climate change between the two countries. He also held talks with Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang at Beijing's ornate Great Hall of the People.

Miliband is the third minister in Starmer's cabinet to visit China. Writing in The Guardian newspaper last week, he expressed that he will use the trip to "urge continued action from China... to tackle the climate emergency".

"I consider it to be negligence towards today's and future generations not to engage China on this topic," he added.

Official data showed last month that China missed a key climate target in 2024 and that emissions rose slightly as coal remained dominant, despite record renewable additions.

Can Collaboration Counteract Trump’s Climate-Hostile Policies?

The UK is hoping to work with China and a host of developing countries, to counteract the impact of Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and his subsequent alignment with climate-hostile countries such as Russia and Saudi Arabia.

Ed Miliband, the UK’s energy and net zero secretary, reached Beijing on March 14 for three days of dialogue with top Chinese officials, including discussions on green technology supply chains, coal and the critical minerals needed for clean energy. While UK’s green economy is growing three times faster than the rest of the economy, it is essential for the country to get access to components and materials to continue the progress.

According to TOI, Miliband’s visit is part of UK’s broader strategy to play a leading role in global cooperation on the climate. He plans to invite Chinese counterparts to London later this year to renew formal climate dialogue between the two countries.