The world’s biggest source of planet-warming gases, the south asian country of China, has for the first time committed to an emission target. In a video statement to the UN in New York, President Xi Jinping said that China would take up efforts to reduce its greenhouse emissions by 7-10% by 2035. The video also states that the country is “striving to do better” as it aims to cut on carbon emissions across the economy. While critics suggest that China’s plan is not yet up to the mark in keeping global climate goals in reach.

This announcement comes at a time when the US President Donald Trump called climate change a “con job”. The country is also rolling down on its carbon emission targets.

“Even for those with tempered expectations, what’s presented today still falls short,” said Yao Zhe, the global policy adviser at Greenpeace East Asia.

This year’s big environment gathering at the global leaders, COP30 that is scheduled to take place in Brazil in November. Ahead of COP30, countries are running out of time to submit their new climate plans. Submitted by participant countries every five years, these pledges are a key part of the Paris climate agreement (a landmark climate negotiation on global warming with the participation of 200 countries) 

The original deadline for these new commitments was this year in February, but countries are now struggling to present them by the end of September.

According to the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, these pledges were critical to keep the long-term rise in global temperatures under 1.5 °C pre-industrial level, as agreed in the Paris Agreement.

“We absolutely need countries to come […] with climate action plans that are fully aligned with 1.5 degrees, that cover the whole of their economies and the whole of their greenhouse gas emissions,” said Antonio Guterres.

“It is essential that we have a drastic reduction of emissions in the next few years if you want to keep the 1.5 degrees Celsius limit alive,” he further added.

China’s Emission Goal

As the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, China’s plans are crucial for the entire world. Back in 2021, President Xi stated that China would aim to peak its emissions this decade to achieve “carbon neutrality” by 2060.

The recently announced pledge is the first time that China has set actual emissions reduction targets .”These targets represent China’s best efforts based on the requirements of the Paris agreement,” President Xi said.

These pledges cover all greenhouse gases and not just carbon dioxide. The levels of greenhouse gases will be measured “from peak levels” of emissions, the timing of which President Xi did not state specifically.

Other features of the pledge by China include:

• Expand wind and solar power capacity to more than six times 2020 levels

• Increase forest stocks to more than 24bn cubic metres

• Create “new energy vehicles” as the mainstream in new vehicle sales