The country’s first-ever absolute emissions reduction target, to cut economy-wide net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 7%–10% from peak levels by 2035, was one of the new interim climate targets unveiled by Chinese President Xi Jinping. In a video address to a UN Climate Summit, President Xi also set goals for 2035, including increasing the proportion of non-fossil fuels in overall energy consumption to more than 30% and increasing China’s installed wind and solar generating capacity to 3,600 gigawatts, more than six times 2020 levels.

China’s new Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement will be based on the revised emissions reduction target. Under the accord, each nation must submit a national climate action plan (NDC), which must be updated every five years with ever-higher ambition. China established goals in 2021 to attain climate neutrality by 2060 and peak GHG emissions by 2030. China is the world’s largest producer of greenhouse gases, contributing about 30% of global emissions in 2024—more than twice as much as the United States, which came in second. Although it represents China’s first absolute emissions reduction objective, the new target is far lower than those of other major nations, such as Australia’s recent 2035 NDCs, which aim to reduce GHG emissions by 62% to 70%, or Switzerland’s 65% target. Several organisations that focus on climate change expressed dissatisfaction with China’s new goals and demanded that the world’s largest emitter show more commitment.

“have been a major opportunity for China to help the world reach the global climate goals,” stated NorGiven that China is the world’s largest emitter and a leader in clean energy, this new target could ah Zhang, China lead for Climate Action Tracker (CAT). Our estimates, however, indicate that the new objective is unlikely to further reduce emissions because China is already on track to meet this target with its current policies. China has the opportunity to decarbonise more quickly; therefore, this is sad.

Additionally, CAT noted that President Xi’s target for renewable energy was less ambitious than what is currently implied by present policy scenarios. President Trump has worked hard to reverse the Biden administration’s climate initiatives and this week at the United Nations referred to climate change as “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world.” In the closing days of the previous administration, U.S. President Biden also announced a goal to reduce GHG emissions by 61% to 66% by 2035.

“Green and low-carbon transition is the trend of the time,” Xi stated in a statement the day after Trump’s comments. Even though some nations are acting against it, the international community should continue to focus on the right path, maintain its unwavering confidence, act relentlessly and intensely, and push for the creation and implementation of NDCs in order to boost collaboration on global climate governance. Along with the clean energy and emissions reduction targets, Xi also laid out a number of other climate-related 2035 objectives, such as increasing the volume of the forest stock to over 24 billion cubic metres, promoting the sale of new energy vehicles, and broadening the scope of the National Carbon Emissions Trading Market to include significant high-emission industries.

According to Xi, these goals reflect China’s best efforts in accordance with the Paris Agreement’s requirements. Both China’s diligent efforts and an open and encouraging international environment are necessary to meet these goals. We are confident and determined to fulfil our obligations.