China's 'overcapacity' in renewable energy industry exactly what we want: Erik Solheim
by Wang Xiaotong
BEIJING, Nov 12 (China Economic Net) - 2024 Global Sustainable Innovation Development Forum was completed in Beijing on Nov. 9, in which renewable energy was put great emphasis to discuss. "Some politicians said about China's overcapacity in electric cars, batteries and solar panels. But that's exactly what we want. We want every nation to produce more and better green products so that we can make the green transformation at speed," Erik Solheim, the Sixth and former UN Environment Executive Director and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations remarked in the forum.
Erik Solheim, the Sixth and former UN Environment Executive Director and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, speaks at the 2024 Global Sustainable Innovation Development Forum. [Photo/Wang Xiaotong]
"Some nations are putting tariffs on Chinese electric cars because they are of higher cost and lower price. That's exactly what we do not need to do. No one should blame China for overcapacity as they don't blame Apple or Samsung for making wonderful cell phones. They have overcapacity and are producing more than they can sell in the American or the Korean market," he said.
"Trade is based on some nations having overcapacity in some sectors and others in other sectors. This is a completely wrong accusation against China which we need to defeat," he underlined.
According to Erik Solheim, "60% to more of solar, wind, hydropower, electric batteries, electric cars, high-speed trains and metros and whatever you can think of are now developed in one nation alone and that is China. Two thirds of all solar and wind energy in the world came into the grid in China alone."
He also mentioned that China is a frontrunner in tree planting in the world which is embarking upon one of the most massive national park systems in the world. "China is protecting nature much better than in the past, and it's leading the green transformation," he said.
(Editor:Liao Yifan)