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China, by far the world’s largest polluter, on Thursday renewed its emissions cutting plan with a promise to peak carbon pollution before 2030.
Beijing’s new submission to the UN also confirmed its goal to achieve carbon neutrality before 2060 and slash its emissions intensity by more than 65%. China is responsible for more than a quarter of all man-made emissions, and had previously promised, under a process set in motion by the 2015 Paris climate deal, to reach net-zero by 2060.
Under the landmark accord, nations are required to submit renewed emissions-cutting pledges — known as Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs — every five years.
China had been a major holdout in renewing its plans to curb emissions, and it was hoped its new submission could build momentum ahead of the delayed COP26 summit in Glasgow, which begins on Sunday.
According to its renewed NDC, published on the UN’s climate change website, it will increase its share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to 25%, up from the 20% previously pledged. It also plans to increase its forest stock by six billion cubic metres compared with 2005 levels and “bring its total installed capacity of wind and solar power to over 1.2 billion kilowatts by 2030”. However it was not immediately clear how Beijing plans to draw down its emissions in line with what science says is needed to avoid catastrophic levels of heating this century.
