China makes a historic commitment to reduce its climatic emissions

China, the world’s largest source of warming gas on the planet, has engaged in an absolute target for the first time to reduce its emissions.

In a video declaration to the UN in New York, President Xi Jinping said that China would reduce its greenhouse gas emissions in the economy of 7 to 10% by 2035, while “striving to do better”.

The announcement comes at a time when the United States is retreating on its commitments, President Donald Trump qualifying climate change on Tuesday a “con”.

But some criticisms said that the China’s plan was not going as far as the hope of maintaining the world climate objectives at hand.

“Even for those who have soaked expectations, what is presented today still fails,” said Yao Zhe, global political advisor at Greenpeace Asia in the East.

Although the big gathering of the world leaders of the year is at COP30 in Brazil in November, the UN meeting of the UN of this week in New York has an additional relevance because the countries are lacking time to submit their new climate plans.

These promises – submitted every five years – are a key element in the Paris climate agreement, the historic agreement in which nearly 200 countries have agreed to try to limit global warming.

The deadline of origin for these new commitments – covering the emission cuts by 2035 – was back in February, but the countries are now rushing to present them at the end of September.

Speaking before the meeting of the UN Secretary General António Guterres said that promises were essential to maintain the long -term increase in global temperatures of less than 1.5C, as agreed in Paris.

“We absolutely need to come […] With climate action plans which are fully aligned with 1.5 degrees, which cover all of their savings and all of their greenhouse gas emissions, “he said.

“It is essential that we have a drastic reduction in emissions in the coming years if you want to keep the limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius,” he added.

As the largest transmitter in the world, China’s plans are essential to keep this goal in view.

In 2021, President XI announced that China would aim to culminate its programs this decade and to reach “carbon neutrality” by 2060.

Today’s commitment marks the first time that China has set objectives for reducing real emissions on this path.

“These objectives represent the best efforts in China according to the requirements of the Paris Agreement,” said President XI.

It also covers all greenhouse gases, not just carbon dioxide, and will be measured “peak levels” of emissions – the moment in which President XI has not specified.

He added China:

• extend wind and solar energy capacity to more than six times the 2020 levels
• Increase forest stocks to more than 24 billion cubic meters
• Make “new energy vehicles” the dominant current in sales of new vehicles

This is the magnitude of China emissions that any reduction is important in climatic terms.

China was responsible for more than a quarter of the planet’s warming emissions in 2023, with almost 14 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.

A 10% reduction in China emissions would be equivalent to 1.4 billion tonnes per year, which represents almost four times the total annual emissions of the United Kingdom.

But the new target of China is below what would be necessary to achieve the objectives of the international climate.

“Nothing less than 30% is certainly not aligned with 1.5 degrees,” said Lauri Myllyvirta, principal analyst at the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

Most scenarios to limit global warming to 1.5 ° C – or even well below 2C – would require that China will make much greater cuts than by 2035, he added.

In many cases, this would mean more than a 50%reduction.

This is another proof of the gap between what must be done to achieve the climatic objectives and what countries predict.

Earlier this week, a report by Stockholm Environment Institute warned that governments around the world collectively planned to produce more than double the quantity of fossil fuels in 2030 than what would comply with the maintenance of 1.5 ° C.

What gives certain observers of hope is that China has a history of exceeding many of its international climate commitments.

He had, for example, undertakes to reach a capacity of 1,200 gigawatts for wind and solar energy by 2030. He broke this goal in 2024 to six years earlier.

“The objectives should be considered as a floor rather than a ceiling,” said Li Shuo, director of China Climate Hub at Asia Society Policy Institute.

“The rapid growth of China’s own technology […] Could propel the country much further in the next decade, “he added.

“The objective of China in 2035 is simply not representative of the rhythm of the energy transition in the country,” said Bernice Lee, an eminent adviser and senior advisor to Chatham House.

“There is a case to do so that Beijing has missed a trick to win a more ambitious goal because it would have obtained a broad global praise-a striking contrast with the United States,” she added.

While China increases its renewable energies, it continues to rely strongly on coal, the dirty fossil fuels.

Last year, the production of Chinese electricity from coal reached a new record – although the initial data suggests that it fell in the first half of 2025 in the middle of an increase in solar electricity.

“There is also growing evidence that the country’s emissions are caught, this year’s levels should be lower than those in 2024,” said Li Shuo.

Today’s new target reports “the start of decarbonization after decades of rapid growth in emissions,” he added.