On February 23, 2021, Special Envoy on Climate Change Xie Zhenhua attended the high-level open videoconference debate on climate and security held by the UN Security Council.

Xie Zhenhua said that global climate governance has entered a crucial phase of fully implementing the Paris Agreement. China hopes that the international community will enhance solidarity and steer in the right direction of joint response to climate change. He calls on all parties to firmly implement international consensus, promote "green recovery" and sustainable development, uphold multilateralism, and continue to take the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change as a main pathway to advance climate change cooperation.

Xie Zhenhua introduced the new climate change initiatives announced by President Xi Jinping last year and China's contributions. He pointed out that it takes developed countries about 50 to 60 years to cut carbon emissions from peak to neutrality, while China has decided to make extraordinary efforts to achieve this goal in 30 years, which reflects its vigor and ambition in coping with climate change. China upholds green development, advances towards its objective of nationally determined contributions, and actively carries out win-win cooperation to help Belt and Road partner countries and other developing countries implement climate change mitigation and adaptation projects.

This meeting, themed "addressing climate-related security risks to international peace and security", was chaired by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson whose country holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council in February, and attended by the Security Council members and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.