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BEIJING, April 23, 2021 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

China, the world's largest developing country, has reaffirmed that its CO2

emissions will peak before 2030 and carbon neutrality will be achieved before

2060.

https://youtu.be/ih5SJ9GaY2w

The promise was reiterated by President Xi Jinping at Thursday's Leaders Summit

on Climate, an important juncture in the global climate political process

before the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties in the UK's Glasgow

in November.

"China has made cooperation in ecological civilization a priority of joint

building Belt and Road and promoted a series of green initiatives," the

president noted, adding that China will hold the 15th meeting of the Conference

of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in October.

Controlling and curbing coal consumption

Xi told the other world leaders attending the summit that concrete action was

already being taken. "China has integrated the goal into the ecological

civilization construction and an action plan for hitting the peak of carbon

emissions by 2030 is underway."

"During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) period, we will strictly control

the growth of coal consumption and gradually curb the consumption during the

15th Five-Year Plan period," he added.

Coal-fired power remains a major energy source in China, and the country has

vowed to bring the share of coal in total energy consumption to under 56

percent in 2021.

The 14th Five-Year Plan, a key policy document that will heavily influence the

nation's economic development in the next decade and beyond, outlined that

energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) and carbon dioxide

emissions per unit of GDP will be reduced by 13.5 percent and 18 percent over

the period, respectively.

During China's annual Central Economic Work Conference held at the end of 2020,

reducing carbon emissions was listed as one of China's eight key tasks to focus

on in 2021.

Meanwhile, Xi noted that these are no easy tasks. "China's commitment is much

shorter than that of developed countries."

The low-carbon commitment, it is estimated, requires China to make the

transition from reaching its carbon peak to realizing carbon neutrality within

30 years, compared with the 60 years taken by most developed countries.

He stressed that countries should honor promises on addressing climate change.

The Copenhagen Summit in 2009 set China's 2020 target of non-fossil energy

consumption at 15 percent and entailed a 40 to 45 percent reduction of carbon

intensity compared to 2005. China's statistics for 2019 are 15.3 percent and

48.1 percent, respectively, meaning the country exceeded and fulfilled the

targets ahead of schedule.

Compared with 2005, greenhouse emissions per unit of GDP had dropped 48 percent

by 2019 in China, according to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment,

achieving ahead of schedule China's commitment to the 2020 targets.

Global cooperation vital

Xi also stressed the importance of global cooperation, calling for the

international community to work together, instead of resorting to mutual

accusation; to keep promises, instead of going back on them.

The president warned against fragmented and palliative approaches in conserving

ecological environment.

Welcoming the returning of the United States to the multilateral governance on

climate change, Xi said that China is looking forward to working with the

international society, including the U.S., to advance global environmental

governance.

Developed countries should make concrete efforts to help developing countries

improve their abilities to cope with climate change, he added, stressing the

principle of common but differentiated responsibilities in the process.

Xi has repeatedly stressed the importance of upholding multilateralism, unity

and cooperation to tackle climate change.

China and European countries have been working closely on the global fight

against climate change after former U.S. President Donald Trump's

administration abandoned the Paris Agreement.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-04-22/President-Xi-attends-Leaders-Summit-on-Climate-via-video-link-ZFKPiQ9yCc/index.html

SOURCE: CGTN