The African Union's G20 membership represents the Global South and the union seeks to voice its discontent on the issue of climate change during the ongoing 19th G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, said Rahmat Allah Mohamed Osman, the permanent representative of the African Union (AU) to China.
In September 2023, the AU was granted permanent membership to the G20 and this year's summit is the union's debut as a full member.
During an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) in Beijing, Osman shared his insights on the importance of the AU joining the G20.
"The membership of the AU represents not only the African Union of the African continent, but it could be seen as a representation for the Global South, because the majority of the Global South are in Africa. So our membership in the G20 is very important for us, because the G20 is a forum (which) now decides on a lot of issues of which are of concern to us, especially the financial architecture, the global financial architecture, which is very important issue for us," he said.
The Rio Summit this year has chosen the theme "Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet".
Africa, a continent disproportionately affected by climate change, contributes minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions. The AU will continue to advocate for climate justice at the G20 and the upcoming COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, according to Osman.
"We are paying a lot, at a time when we are not contributing to this climate change. This is another unfair way of dealing with Africa. So this is why Africa has a plan and we have the Nairobi plan for mitigating the impact of climate change. And now in Baku, we have a very solid position. And we are expressing also the position of the Global South with regard to the commitment, which were announced in Paris and other COP forums, were not honored by the countries who contributed to this climate change," he said.
African Union's G20 membership represents Global South: AU envoy
China's top economic planner announced on Tuesday that it will study and propose policy measures to further enhance support and broaden the scope of support for the country's efforts to promote large-scale equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-ins in the future.
At a press briefing in Beijing, Li Chao, spokeswoman for the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), stated that nearly 300 detailed rules have been introduced and implemented in all areas since the initiation of large-scale equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-ins.
Automobiles, home appliances, and furnishings are the three major categories of products covered by consumer goods trade-ins. According to the latest data, subsidies for home appliance trade-ins can amount to as much as 20 percent of the original price. Subsidies for auto trade-ins can reach up to 20,000 yuan (around 2,762.6 U.S. dollars). Concerning home furnishing trade-ins, many local authorities have allocated funds specifically to support age-friendly renovations, Li said.
When it comes to large-scale equipment upgrades, seven key areas - industry, agriculture, construction, education, transportation, culture and tourism, and medical care - are covered. A total of 15 billion yuan (around 2.1 billion U.S. dollars) of ultra-long special treasury bonds have been directly allocated to projects in these areas, said the spokeswoman.
"In October, sales of home appliances and audio-visual equipment increased by nearly 40 percent year on year. Consumers are showing a preference for energy efficient products, with initial statistics indicating that energy efficient home appliances accounted for as much as 90 percent of sales in the trade-in program. National investment in equipment and tools purchases rose by 16.1 percent year on year in the first 10 months, contributing over 60 percent to the overall investment growth," Li said.
Besides, in the process of large-scale equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-ins, relevant departments will rigorously investigate practices such as "raising prices before offering discounts" and "false discounts" in accordance with the law, the spokeswoman noted.
Meanwhile, efforts will continue to be made to promote recycling and reuse. The China Resources Recycling Group will be guided to accelerate the establishment of national and functional resource recycling platforms and to conduct specialized inspections on the illegal dismantling of waste electrical and electronic equipment, Li said.
The China Resources Recycling Group, a centrally administered state-owned enterprise (SOE), was officially launched at a founding ceremony in the northern city of Tianjin on Oct. 18.
The newly established enterprise will specialize in resources recycling and reuse, undertaking the important task of building a national platform in this respect.
"We will also study and propose policy measures to continuously increase support and widen the scope of support in the future. Once the relevant procedures are completed, we will release them to the public at the appropriate time. We will continue to promote benefits for the people, profits for enterprises, and economic growth through large-scale equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-ins," Li said.
In March, China pledged a new round of large-scale equipment upgrades and trade-ins of consumer goods as part of its efforts to boost domestic demand and support continuous economic growth this year.
China's economic planner to boost large-scale equipment upgrades, consumer goods trade-ins support
