{"id":60101206,"date":"2025-09-25T17:56:25","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T16:56:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/?post_type=news_digest&p=60101206"},"modified":"2025-09-26T11:03:54","modified_gmt":"2025-09-26T10:03:54","slug":"china-sets-conservative-new-climate-targets","status":"publish","type":"news_digest","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/digest\/china-sets-conservative-new-climate-targets\/","title":{"rendered":"China sets \u2018conservative\u2019 new climate targets"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On 24 September, President Xi Jinping announced<\/a> China’s updated climate action targets. These include its first absolute emissions goal: by 2035, the country will cut net greenhouse gas emissions by 7-10% from peak levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other targets include raising non-fossil fuel consumption to over 30% (the current goal is 25%) and expanding solar and wind capacity from 1.2<\/a> to 3.6 terawatts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simon Stiell, UN climate change executive secretary, called the announcement \u201ca clear signal that the future global economy will run on clean energy.\u201d However, many experts say the 7-10% target is too conservative. An assessment<\/a> by the Centre for Research for Energy and Clean Air had found a 30% reduction would be necessary to align with the Paris Agreement goals on addressing global warming. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juan Manuel Santos, former president of Colombia and chair of the Elders, a group of global leaders, said via the Global Strategic Communications Council (GSCC): \u201cChina\u2019s latest climate target is too timid given the country\u2019s extraordinary record on clean energy \u2013 both at home and through its green partnerships with emerging economies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The caution reflects China\u2019s traditional approach to climate policy, stated<\/a> Kate Logan and Li Shuo of the Asia Society, who called the outcome \u201ca conservative pledge that the authorities are confident the country can fully deliver.\u201d The pair noted the “uncertainty” of promising to cut emissions from undefined and undated “peak levels\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s hopeful is that the actual decarbonisation of China\u2019s economy is likely to exceed its target on paper,\u201d said Yao Zhe, global policy advisor at Greenpeace East Asia, via GSCC. A recent Greenpeace report projects<\/a> that emissions from China\u2019s largest sector \u2013 power generation \u2013 could peak by 2025. Though increased emissions from the coal-to-chemical sector complicate the picture, reports<\/a> Climate Home News.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China\u2019s energy transition is already reshaping its emissions trajectory. Robust growth in renewables drove<\/a> a 1% year-on-year decline in CO2 emissions in the first half of 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Muyi Yang, senior China analyst at Ember, said: \u201cWhat matters now is preparing for the post-peak era so any plateau is short\u201d. He said the new NDC \u201csignals commitment, which will unlock capital and speed a shorter plateau and faster structural decline in emissions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysts say China\u2019s upcoming five-year plans for 2026-2030 and 2031-35 could determine how these NDC pledges are translated into concrete action \u2013 including quantified reductions for CO2, methane and other gases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read Dialogue Earth\u2019s recent <\/em>piece<\/em><\/a> on China\u2019s plan to introduce absolute emissions caps for major industrial sectors by 2027.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

President Xi Jinping has announced China’s updated climate action targets. These include its first absolute emissions goal<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":60006649,"template":"","categories":[761,757],"tags":[513,580],"country":[20000110],"digest-collection":[50039911],"class_list":["post-60101206","news_digest","type-news_digest","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climate","category-energy","tag-carbon-emissions","tag-policy","country-china"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nChina sets \u2018conservative\u2019 new climate targets | Dialogue Earth<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"President Xi Jinping has announced China's updated climate action targets. 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