China has pledged to reduce its greenhouse emissions to their peak levels by 2035, following a UN Climate Summit meeting on Wednesday that addressed the urgency of tackling climate change.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, while speaking at the summit via video link, said his country aims to cut emissions by 7 to 10 per cent from their highest levels in the coming decade.
Xi appeared to take a veiled swipe at US President Donald Trump, who on Tuesday dismissed climate change as a “con job” during the General Assembly.
“Green and low-carbon reformation is the trend and the need of the hour, regardless of what some countries think about it,” Xi said. “The international community must stay on the right track, maintain unwavering confidence, unwavering action, and undiminished efforts.”
Trump had also labelled scientists “stupid” and criticised efforts by the European Union and China to move towards green energy technologies.
Despite criticism, China continues to lead the world in renewable energy and green technologies. It also dominates the global electric vehicle industry, a development that has raised concerns in US markets and among American automakers.
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The entire EV sector is largely run by Chinese companies, and reluctantly, the world is recognising the need to switch to clean, sustainable sources of energy.
Wednesday’s summit was convened by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to underline the urgency of combating climate change.
Xi said Beijing intends to expand renewable power capacity sixfold from 2020 levels, raise the share of non-fossil fuels to over 30 per cent of total energy use, and make electric vehicles mainstream in a drive to “establish a climate-adaptive society.”
China and the United States are the world’s two largest greenhouse gas emitters. While the US has withdrawn from the global climate agreement, China has signalled its willingness to recognise and address the crisis.
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