Finance

EU, China plan joint statement on climate change, sources say

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review

Posted on July 23, 2025

2 min read

· Last updated: January 22, 2026

Add as preferred source on Google
EU, China plan joint statement on climate change, sources say
Global Banking & Finance Awards 2026 — Call for Entries

By Kate Abnett BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Union and China are preparing to agree a joint declaration on tackling climate change at a summit in Beijing on Thursday, EU diplomats told Reuters.

EU and China Set to Announce Joint Climate Change Declaration

EU-China Climate Change Collaboration

By Kate Abnett

Leaders Meeting in Beijing

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Union and China are preparing to agree a joint declaration on tackling climate change at a summit in Beijing on Thursday, EU diplomats told Reuters.

Commitments Ahead of COP30

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa will visit Beijing on Thursday and meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, among other senior officials.

Contrast with U.S. Policy

The climate declaration is not expected to include new pledges, but instead reaffirm the two sides' commitment to address climate change, despite the EU and China being at odds over other issues including trade disputes and Russia's war in Ukraine.

The summit is not expected to yield major agreements or declarations on other issues, said the diplomats, who were granted anonymity to discuss the confidential EU-China summit preparations.

Both China and the EU have pledged to deliver new commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, ahead of this year's U.N. COP30 climate summit in November in Brazil. Both missed a February U.N. deadline to submit their new pledges.

A joint commitment on global warming by the two major economies would also stand in contrast to the stance of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, which has pulled the world's biggest economy out of global negotiations on climate change and rolled back U.S. CO2-cutting policies.

(Reporting by Kate Abnett; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama )

Key Takeaways

  • EU and China plan a joint climate change declaration.
  • The summit will be held in Beijing with top leaders attending.
  • No new pledges expected, but reaffirmation of commitments.
  • Contrast with US climate policy under Trump's administration.
  • Both missed the UN deadline for new climate pledges.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of the EU-China summit?
The summit aims to agree on a joint declaration regarding climate change.
Who are the key leaders attending the summit?
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa will attend the summit.
What can we expect from the climate declaration?
The declaration is expected to reaffirm the commitment to address climate change, without introducing new pledges.
What is the significance of this joint commitment?
A joint commitment on climate change by the EU and China would contrast with the stance of the U.S. under President Trump's administration.
What commitments have the EU and China made ahead of COP30?
Both the EU and China have pledged to deliver new commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions ahead of the U.N. COP30 climate summit in November.

Tags

Related Articles

More from Finance

Explore more articles in the Finance category