China says climate fight will not stall if certain countries drop out, citing irreversible green transition and energy security

China's environment minister Huang Runqiu told a global climate meeting that multilateral cooperation on climate change will not slow down even if some countries withdraw from the Paris Agreement. Speaking at a meeting co-hosted by China, the EU, and Canada, Huang described the low-carbon transition as irreversible and argued that the Iran war's disruption to oil and gas supplies strengthens the case for green energy. Huang noted that the energy crisis has pushed some nations to accelerate shifts away from fossil fuels, with countries like Pakistan reporting a jump in electric vehicle sales. However, he acknowledged that others have increased coal or oil use to replace Middle Eastern gas. China remains the world's largest CO2 emitter and coal burner, but also leads globally in renewable energy deployment and EV sales, far outpacing other economies.