China responds to Trump: "We will multiply wind and solar capacity sixfold"
Environment — di Andrea Barolini
Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged a net CO2 emissions reduction of 7–10 percent by 2030.
China responds to Trump: "We will multiply wind and solar capacity sixfold"
Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged a net CO2 emissions reduction of 7–10 percent by 2030.
Following the surreal speech delivered by United States President Donald Trump before the United Nations General Assembly, in which he described climate change as "a con job", the world's leading rival economic power, China, has made its response. President Xi Jinping outlined — in a video message delivered on the occasion of Climate Week New York — a decidedly different path, even if not yet sufficiently ambitious, on the question of energy.
Chinese President Xi Jinping announced new climate plans at a summit on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, saying his country would cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 7%-10% from its peak reut.rs/3W7gb0R
China's interim emissions reduction target remains insufficient
The Asian nation has committed to reducing its net greenhouse gas emissions (meaning real reductions, taking compensation into account, without any accounting sleight of hand) by between 7 and 10 percent. This is to be achieved by 2035 and relative to peak emissions, which are expected to be reached this year.
Xi Jinping also pledged that China would "make every effort to achieve the best possible outcome". Until now, the Beijing government had only committed to reaching carbon neutrality, meaning net-zero CO2 emissions, by 2060. A deadline that many had considered too distant to allow the climate targets set by the international community to be met. Furthermore, it had not indicated any interim milestones.
China still believes in multilateralism on the climate issue
Even China's new pledge, however, is not enough. Experts had hoped that Beijing might go as far as a reduction of around 30 percent. This would be necessary to curb the rise in average global temperature relative to pre-industrial levels and keep alive the now slim hopes of remaining at least close to the target of 1.5 degrees Celsius.
One undeniably positive factor, however, is the fact that one of the world's leading economic powers, home to more than 1.4 billion people, still believes in multilateralism and in the need for cooperation on the climate issue.
🌍 At a UN climate summit Wednesday, #China's #XiJinping vowed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 7–10% and boost non-fossil fuel use, urging rich nations not to "go against the trend" of climate action—just a day after Trump called climate change a "con job."
To meet the new 7–10 percent reduction target, Xi Jinping explained that his country would "multiply its installed wind and solar capacity sixfold compared to 2020 levels, aiming to bring the total to 3,600 Gigawatts". To this end, solar panels will also be installed in desert areas between now and 2030.
"Green transition: the international community must stay focused on the right path"
He then made his general political stance on climate change explicit in clear terms: "The green transition and decarbonisation represent the current trend. Even though certain countries are opposing it, the international community must remain focused on the right direction, maintaining unwavering confidence, consistent action and intensity".
The hope is that this will mean being able to go "beyond these targets set on paper", as highlighted by Yao Zhe, a senior official at Greenpeace Asia.