BERLIN, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Global climate governance is currently facing a "defining test," UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell said in an interview with Xinhua. Escalating climate impacts and growing geopolitical instability make accelerated climate action increasingly urgent, he underlined.

"All over the world, communities and economies are feeling the effects of climate change -- from extreme heat, droughts and floods to food insecurity and economic disruption," said Stiell ahead of the World Environment Day due on Friday.

In a written reply to Xinhua, he noted that the war in the Middle East has also exposed the spiraling costs of fossil fuel dependency, affecting economies, businesses and households worldwide.

Against this backdrop, "a faster scale-up of renewables is now core business for every nation's energy security, stability and national sovereignty," Stiell said.

He described China as an example of this transition in action, saying the country's achievements since signing the Paris Agreement have set an example for the rest of the world. "Over this period, Chinese clean energy investment has almost doubled, with clean energy now a major driver of jobs, higher living standards, economic growth and energy security."

After meeting its 2020 climate action targets ahead of schedule in late 2019, China has set the dual carbon goals of peaking carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060.

"China has a track record not only meeting its climate and energy targets but exceeding them," said Stiell.

Countries reaffirmed at the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) that the Paris Agreement must move further and faster, and that the global clean energy transition is irreversible. "This sends an important signal that international climate cooperation remains strong, even in a complex geopolitical environment," Stiell emphasized.

"No country can tackle climate change alone," he said, warning that without stronger international cooperation, climate impacts will worsen and their economic and social costs will continue to rise.

In this new era, he said, the international community should build on existing progress while shifting its focus toward faster delivery and turning commitments into tangible results for people, nature and economies.

"That means placing a real focus on what's known as the Global Climate Action Agenda, with governments, cities, companies and investors cutting deals and forming partnerships to deliver projects on the ground," he said.

At COP31 later this year, this agenda will focus more closely on issues related to the current energy and food crises as well as climate change. These issues include electrification and grid expansion to accelerate renewable energy deployment, methane reduction, food security, waste management and resilient cities, Stiell said.

"China plays an important role in this era of implementation," he said, adding that the country's large-scale investment in renewables is helping lower global costs and speed up the deployment of clean energy and resilience solutions worldwide. ■