BEIJING, March 26 (Xinhua) — The annual Earth Hour, which is observed on the last Saturday of March, has become a popular environment awareness event worldwide since its initiation by the World Wide Fund for Nature in 2007.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has on multiple occasions highlighted China's endeavors toward energy conservation and emission reduction, calling on the international community to take care of the blue planet.

Here are some highlights of his quotes in this regard:

— The Earth is our one and only home. To scale up efforts to address climate change and promote sustainable development bears on the future of humanity.

— We should adjust the structure of the energy industry, make energy conservation a priority in urbanization, and encourage an attitude to consumption characterized by diligence and thrift, moving faster toward building an energy-conserving society.

— China will adopt even more forceful policies and measures and strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060, thus making greater efforts and contributions toward meeting the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

— Cutting emissions is not aimed at curbing productivity or no emissions at all. Instead, [we should] follow a green and low-carbon development path that prioritizes ecological conservation, so as to mutually reinforce economic development and green transition.

— We need to increase exchanges and cooperation, share experience and jointly meet challenges in climate change, environment protection, energy conservation and emission reduction.

— We will build up a strong capacity to adapt to climate change, stick to our basic state policy of resource conservation and environment protection, and turn China into a beautiful country with blue sky, green land and clear water.

(Source: Xinhua)