China has pledged to further increase its target to reducing carbon dioxide emissions as the energy-hungry nation sets its sights on being carbon neutral by 2060.
At the virtual Climate Ambition Summit held on 12 December, President Xi Jinping said his country is determined to increase the share of non-fossil fuels in the primary energy consumption mix to around 25% by 2030, which is higher than the 20% he initially pledged five years ago at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris in November 2015.
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Last weekend's summit, which had an aim to make new commitments to tackling climate change and delivering on the Paris Agreement, was co-convened by the UN, the UK and France, and in partnership with Chile and Italy.
At Saturday’s summit, Xi reaffirmed that China will lower its CO2 emissions per unit of gross domestic product by over 65% from the 2005 level. In his 2015 speech he said China would reduce CO2 per unit of GDP by 60% to 65% over the 2005 level.
Xi also pledged on Saturday that China will increase its forest stock volume by 6 billion cubic meters from the 2005 level, up from 4.5 billion cubic meters he committed in 2015.
He said that by 2030, China will bring its total installed capacity of wind and solar power to over 1.2 billion kilowatts.
Xi’s has said at the UN General Assembly via video in late September that China is aiming to reach peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and to achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.
“China always honors its commitments. Guided by our new development philosophy, we will promote greener economic and social development in all respects while pursuing high-quality development," Xi said on Saturday.
"We will take solid steps to implement the targets just announced, and contribute even more to tackling the global climate challenge."
