The 2026 Taiyuan Energy Low Carbon Development Forum opens on Friday in Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi province. [Photo by Zhu Xingxin/chinadaily.com.cn]

The Earth's climate is currently in the most severe state of imbalance on record, said Liu Zhenmin, China's special envoy for climate change affairs, at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Taiyuan Energy Low Carbon Development Forum, which opened on Friday in the capital of Shanxi province.

Liu linked the recent high-altitude glacier collapse in Nepal to the ongoing rise in global temperatures. He noted that the ripple effects of climate change now touch everything from food and energy security to ecological health and national economies. "Human society must enhance its sense of urgency," he argued, saying that though the international climate cooperation mechanisms are facing serious tests, the world must push harder for decarbonization.

Since its establishment in 2016, the forum has attracted 25 foreign dignitaries, over 130 ambassadors to China, and more than 1,300 important foreign guests, becoming a high-end dialogue platform with significant influence in the international energy field.