China announced its first specific emission‑reduction goal, pledging a 7–10 percent cut in greenhouse gases by 2035 and a six‑fold rise in wind and solar capacity, amid criticism that the target is modest.
China’s First Concrete Emission Target
President Xi Jinping revealed a plan to reduce China’s greenhouse‑gas emissions by 7–10 percent by 2035, a first for the country since it set a zero‑emission goal for 2060.
Domestic Goals Versus the Paris Agreement
Xi described the target as the best effort China can deliver under the Paris Agreement, where nations agreed to keep global warming below 2 °C, preferably 1.5 °C. He warned that we are already dangerously close to the lower threshold.
Renewable Energy Ambitions
China plans to boost wind and solar power to 1,200 GW by 2030, a figure already surpassed last year. The country aims to increase wind and solar capacity more than six times the 2020 level.
Electrification and Carbon Capture
Electric vehicles are set to dominate the market, now accounting for roughly half of automotive sales, while China intends to expand forest carbon sinks.
Expert Assessment
BBC’s Li Shuo, director of the China Climate Hub, cautioned that the announced goals should be seen as a minimum. He noted that rapid clean‑technology growth could accelerate China’s development in the next decade.
