International youth delegates of Y20 pose for a group photo (COURTESY)

The G20 Youth Summit (Y20) took place in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 18 to 23 August. Sun Ruoshui, a research assistant from the Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Tsinghua University, was appointed by the All-China Youth Federation to represent China in the discussions on Climate and Environmental Sustainability. 

Specialising in global climate governance, international climate negotiation and climate policy, Sun has previously served as a member of the Chinese delegation to the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) and 2024 Bonn Subsidiary Bodies Meeting.  

ChinAfrica spoke with Sun about his experience engaging with youth representatives from G20 countries and his insights on fostering China-Africa youth cooperation in addressing global climate challenges. 

ChinAfrica: As a Chinese delegate at the 2025 Y20 Summit, what personal goals and collective expectations did you bring to the event? In your field of climate governance, what core message did you hope to convey to the international youth community, particularly your African peers? 

Sun Ruoshui: I first applied for the Y20 selection in 2021 and made it to the final round, but wasn’t chosen, which was a real regret. So, when I received the invitation this year, I saw it as a long-awaited opportunity to make up for that missed experience. 

Over the past four years, I’ve completed my studies and represented China in United Nations climate negotiations. These experiences allowed me to shift beyond the perspective of a student, approaching climate governance from a more nuanced and multi-dimensional angle. This transformation gave me greater confidence and maturity, making me feel more prepared for this year’s Y20 Summit. 

From a collective standpoint, I had two main motivations. First, I wanted to understand how young people around the world currently view global climate governance, especially now that it seems to have reached a bottleneck - particularly following the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement under the Trump administration. I was keen to learn whether shifting international policies had weakened youth commitment to climate action, or whether young people were still determined to advance it. 

Second, I hoped to share China’s perspectives and experiences in climate negotiations. My goal was to help others to understand the reasoning behind our positions while also being open to hearing their perspectives. I wanted to move beyond formal political rhetoric and encourage genuine, open exchanges that could foster mutual understanding. 

The key message I aimed to convey to global youth, including my African peers, was that despite the rise of climate scepticism, the momentum for climate action is irreversible. This is not just because it’s “the right thing to do,” but because technological advancements have made renewable energy solutions increasingly affordable and efficient. Even without emissions targets, these technologies offer greater productivity. Grounded in the principle that material conditions shape the superstructure, the green transition is an irreversible historical trend, one that transcends political fluctuations and individual opinions. I shared this perspective openly at the summit, and it resonated strongly with many delegates. 

International youth delegates of Y20 during a meeting session (COURTESY) 

During the summit, you shared China’s experiences and case studies in climate action. What aspects of China’s practices were most interesting to international youth delegates? 

China’s energy transition attracted most interest. The scale of China’s contribution in this area is truly remarkable. Today, nearly half of the world’s installed solar and wind capacity is in China, and the country’s annual new installations far exceed the combined total of the rest of the world. Simply put, without China’s development of renewable energy, the global low-carbon transition would look very different. 

Delegates from developing countries were particularly interested in how China managed to design and implement policies that enabled such rapid and transformative progress. Meanwhile, delegates from developed countries expressed curiosity about China’s coal power policies. They wanted to understand why, despite renewables accounting for over 60 percent of installed capacity, China continues to build new coal power plants rather than transitioning entirely to renewable energy. 

What kind of interactions did you have with African youth delegates, and how do you perceive China-Africa youth friendship? 

This year, the South African delegate happened to serve as the negotiator for just transition for their country’s delegation to COP, exactly the same role I held for China at the 2023 COP28 in Dubai. We were both pleasantly surprised by this coincidence. 

We exchanged views on our respective approaches to the energy transition and found both differences and common ground. More importantly, we identified several tangible opportunities for future China-Africa cooperation. 

The South African delegate highlighted that China’s development has created new possibilities for the Global South, particularly for African nations, demonstrating that a low-carbon transition and economic growth can go hand in hand. This achievement offers hope - that through innovation and determination, developing nations can achieve both sustainability and prosperity. 

On multilateral platforms like Y20, what unique opportunities do you see for China-Africa youth cooperation on sustainable development? 

I see two particularly promising areas: energy transition and sustainable agriculture. 

Energy transition is a critical issue that cannot be overstated. China and Africa possess highly complementary advantages in this domain. China has developed mature technology and robust financial capacity in wind, solar, and hydroelectric power, while Africa is rich in natural resources, particularly solar energy, and offers vast untapped markets. 

Unlike many Asia-Pacific countries that are gradually transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy, large parts of Africa - especially remote regions - still face significant energy scarcity. This gap creates a strong foundation for collaboration. China’s production capacity, combined with Africa’s immense demand, presents a unique opportunity for synergistic leapfrogging growth. What is needed now are effective mechanisms to connect these strengths for mutual benefit. 

The second area is sustainable agriculture. For Africa, agriculture is not only central to its economy but also essential for addressing broader sustainability challenges. Food security is a key prerequisite for tackling other issues, yet the continent is among the most vulnerable to climate change’s impacts on farming. 

China, on the other hand, has amassed significant expertise in agricultural modernisation - ranging from advanced irrigation systems and high-quality seed cultivation to innovative agronomic practices. These strengths position China as an invaluable partner in Africa’s agricultural development. 

Sun Ruoshui (left) and other Chinese delegates pose for a group photo (COURTESY) 

In your view, how can international youth better leverage their collective power to advance global sustainable development? 

I believe there are three key points to consider. 

First, young people must remain steadfast in their commitment to sustainable development and the low-carbon transition. A clear and shared understanding of this direction allows us to act decisively, without hesitation, and build collective momentum. 

Second, global youth should focus on strengthening communication and mutual understanding. At the Y20 Summit, for instance, we collaborated more like a cohesive project team - working together to draft a communiqué that reflected our shared aspirations rather than competing positions. This atmosphere of sincerity and cooperation fostered genuine respect, laying the foundation for smoother collaboration in future climate governance and sustainable initiatives. The spirit of empathy helps to dissolve misunderstandings and avoid unnecessary conflicts. 

Third, young people must activate and expand cross-sector networks. In this year’s Y20 delegation alone, we had entrepreneurs from Japan, researchers from France, consultants from Indonesia and the UK, and government officials from Argentina. Such diversity holds immense potential for concrete collaboration. 

Youth exchanges should be action-oriented - facilitating overseas investment by young entrepreneurs, supporting international research collaborations among young scholars, and linking resources across borders. By energising these networks, we can turn youth cooperation into tangible actions that accelerate the global sustainable development agenda. 

Although this year’s Y20 Summit did not result in a joint communiqué due to certain external factors, the overall atmosphere was remarkably positive. In the areas of climate governance and sustainable development, youth delegates demonstrated strong unity and a shared sense of purpose. The absence of a communiqué didn’t indicate division; rather, in an era of rising geopolitical fragmentation and weakened multilateralism, I saw even stronger solidarity among global youth.