China has an opportunity to lead the global fight against climate change with the US set to tamp down its commitments following the election of Donald Trump as president, South Africa’s environment minister said.

The world’s biggest emitter has faced scathing criticism from the US and developed European nations for not pulling its weight when it comes to stumping up climate finance to help poorer nations adapt to a warming world. China has contended that as a developing nation it’s not responsible for the build up of gases from industrial activities over the last three centuries.

“That’s the big debate that is going on,” Dion George, the environment minister, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television on Friday. “If it’s going to be the superpower, the global superpower that it may aspire to be, then” it needs to show some leadership.

Nations are currently debating how to tackle climate change at COP29 in Azerbaijan in the wake of this year’s hurricanes, floods and droughts — which devastated communities in the US, Europe and Africa. Developing nations are demanding annual climate finance of $1.3-trillion, a big step up from the $100-billion developed countries committed to in 2009 but have only recently met.

“China’s position is that it is a developing economy and it is not required to make a contribution on that particular item,” George said. “The developed economy countries certainly believe that China should be contributing.”

Historical Emissions

China currently emits more than double the carbon emissions of any other nation and comes second over a longer time span. Between 1750 and 2018 it released 214-billion tons of the climate-warming gases, lagging only the US at 397-billion tons. While India, a major polluter, has also been called on to contribute, its historical emissions are comparatively low.

Carbon dioxide lasts for hundreds of years so emissions from centuries ago are warming the planet today.

In September, when criticized by Germany’s climate envoy over its climate targets, China’s foreign ministry said developed countries have a “moral responsibility” and legal obligation to lead efforts to combat global warming and provide financial support for the energy transition in poorer nations. China’s foreign ministry didn’t immediately respond to a request sent after normal working hours.

China could find different ways of contributing such as providing debt relief to the many countries that owe it money, which often are unable to allocate funds toward making their infrastructure more resilient to adverse weather because of the interest payments, George said.

“Africa is very heavily indebted to China. Maybe there is an opportunity for them to contribute in that way,” he said.

According to Boston University’s Global Development Policy Center, China loaned African nations $182-billion between 2000 and 2023.

George’s stance is a shift from his predecessor, Barbara Creecy, who concurred with China that climate finance, as part of the $100-billion target, is solely the obligation of developed nations.

Creecy, now transport minister, is a member of the African National Congress (ANC), a party that has pursued close ties with China. George, a member of the market-friendly Democratic Alliance, took his position in June after the ANC lost its parliamentary majority in May elections and was forced into a coalition.

“How China is categorised or categorises itself or others categorise it. I don’t think it’s either here nor there,” he said. “We know that we’ve got this existential crisis and it needs to be paid for.”

George said the $1.3-trillion target, which includes private finance and money from multilateral development banks as well as direct contributions from governments, is ambitious but achievable.

“If we’re going to be serious about getting somewhere, we need to make sure there’s enough money,” said George, who together with his Norwegian counterpart, is leading talks on mitigation at COP29. “It’s very much doable, but of course it’s going to require political will.”