China pledges to cut emissions by up to 10% by 2035
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The news: China, the world’s largest polluter, committed to cut greenhouse gas emissions 7% to 10% from peak levels over the next decade.
What they said: The goal, President Xi Jinping said in a videotaped address to a UN climate summit in New York, “represent China’s best efforts based on the requirements of the Paris Agreement.” He added meeting the targets would require “both painstaking efforts by China itself and a supportive and open international environment.”
China also reportedly outlined plans to increase the share of non-fossil fuels in total energy consumption to over 30% and to expand installed capacity of wind and solar power more than six times 2020 levels. While installations of renewables have set records in the past two years, authorities also approved a large volume of new coal-fired power capacity.
Separately, Premier Li Qiang announced China will no longer seek new special treatment for developing countries in current and future WTO negotiations.
The move signals a possible effort to ease longstanding trade tensions with the US and could inject momentum into long-stalled WTO reforms.
Li described the move as coming from “a responsible major developing country,” while WTO Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala applauded the move, calling it “a culmination of many years of hard work.”
The sources: Bloomberg, China Daily, The Wall Street Journal
