LocationsOpening Remarks by Mr. James George at the 2026 Shanghai Climate Week
April 22, 2026
UNDP Resident Representative a.i. in China, James George, delivered opening remarks via video at the 2026 Shanghai Climate Week
Good morning, distinguished guests, colleagues, and friends,
It is a great pleasure to join you for Shanghai Climate Week 2026 on World Earth Day.
On behalf of UNDP China, I extend my sincere gratitude to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the Hainan Ningyuan Institute of Climate and Sustainable Development, and all our partners for convening this important gathering.
Today, as we mark World Earth Day, whose theme for 2026 is “Our Power, Our Planet”, we are reminded of the urgency and scale of the challenges we face as a global community.
Climate change is no longer a distant threat - it is here, and it is devastating our every day lives.
Extreme weather events caused $380 billion in economic losses in 2023 alone[i].
Without urgent action, climate-related damage could reduce global GDP by up to 18% by 2050[ii].
These are not abstract projections - they are a preview of what inaction looks like.
Yet the human cost runs even deeper.
Today, one person is displaced every second due to climate-related disaster[iii].
By 2050, up to 216 million people could be forced to migrate within their own countries because of climate impacts[iv].
The climate crisis is, at its core, a human crisis - and it falls hardest on the most vulnerable.
Ladies and gentlemen,
But here is what gives us reason to act with confidence: the transition is already underway.
Renewable energy investment hit a record $1.8 trillion in 2023[v], surpassing fossil fuel investment for the first time in history.
The question is no longer whether the clean energy transition will happen. The question is whether all communities will benefit from it.
This is where marine and island regions matter enormously. These communities are on the frontlines of climate risk.
Sea levels are rising at 3.7 mm per year, nearly double the rate of the 1990s[vi].
Yet they are also uniquely positioned as centers of innovation, where solutions rooted in local ecology and culture can become global blueprints for resilient, sustainable development.
At UNDP China, we have already seen what is possible.
"The question is no longer whether the clean energy transition will happen. The question is whether all communities will benefit from it."
Last year, together with the local government and China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE), we launched the Green and Digital Innovation Project (GDIP) in Baoting, Hainan.
Together with our national and international development partners, we are bringing together new models and approaches on green technologies, sustainable finance, and digital innovation to build a replicable model of low-carbon, community-centered prosperity.
UNDP is also working closely with CICETE and Tongji University in Shanghai through our joint SDG Innovation Lab on Climate and Disaster Resilience. The Lab has served as a knowledge and innovation platform dedicated to advancing urban resilience, connecting research, policy, and practice to help cities design and implement climate-adaptive solutions.
These pilots are the beginning pointing to the path forward.
As we accelerate that path, three principles must guide us:
1. Localization enables scalability.
Every community has unique development needs, cultures, and ecosystems.
Solutions that acknowledges and leverage this diversity to respond to localized challenges are stronger in impact. Local innovation and designed solutions remains at the heart and foundation of systemic change.
2. Finance and technology must move together.
Technology alone cannot close the gap.
Even though climate finance must reach at least $4.3 trillion annually by 2030[vii], current flows remain far short. Mobilizing sustainable finance is as urgent as developing the innovative technological solutions.
And finally, inclusion is non-negotiable.
The clean energy transition must create green jobs, sustain livelihoods, and protect those most at risk.
A transition that leaves people behind is not a just transition, and is not sustainable.
None of the positive changes happens without a broad-based partnership that encompasses governments, academia, private sector, local communities and financial institutions.
This is precisely why the Shanghai Climate Week 2026 is so important.
It provides a platform for thought leaders, innovators, and investment partners to come together and move from dialogue to concrete and timely action.
By translating global climate ambitions into tangible, scalable solutions, we can tangibly demonstrate how cities and communities can become the foundation of a resilient, low-carbon, and prosperous future, not only in China but also with best practices, lessons and insights for the global community.
As we move forward on the global climate agendas,
UNDP is committed to supporting the realisation of the development priorities outlined in China’s 15th Five-Year Plan and exploring new innovative and strategic partnerships.
Together, we can advance inclusive and innovative people-centred pathways to build the foundation for transformative climate action that leaves no one behind.
Thank you, and I look forward to the fruitful discussions and collaborations that will emerge from today’s event.
[i] Swiss Re Institute, sigma: Natural Catastrophes, 2023
[ii] Swiss Re, The Economics of Climate Change, 2024
[iii] UNHCR, Global Trends: Forced Displacement, 2023
[iv] World Bank, Groundswell Report, 2024
[v] Bloomberg NEF, Energy Transition Investment Trends, 2024
[vi] World Meteorological Organization (WMO), State of the Global Climate, 2023
[vii] Climate Policy Initiative (CPI), Global Landscape of Climate Finance, 2023
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