Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Oct 06, 2025

China unveils new emissions and clean energy pledges

China unveils new emissions and clean energy pledges

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday pledged to cut carbon emissions per unit of economic output by over 65% by 2030 and boost the share of nonfossil fuels in energy consumption to roughly 25% by then.

China is by far the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter, and the announcement offers new specifics about the country’s existing climate targets. However, the pledge includes a slightly strengthened emissions intensity target, and some environmentalists’ immediate response to the overall package was lukewarm

  • The pledge follows Xi's surprise announcement in September that China would aim to be carbon-neutral by 2060 and have its emissions peak before 2030.

  • Today Xi also offered expanded targets on renewable power and forest growth.

His announcement came at a virtual summit marking the fifth anniversary of the Paris climate deal.

  • The UN hosted the event with the U.K., which is hosting the next round of global climate talks next year, and several other nations.

China’s emissions have been on a generally upward march this century and surpassed the U.S. in the mid-2000s, though they dipped slightly this year, per a major analysis released on Thursday.

"This is an incremental step towards the right direction, but more needs to be done to align near term action and China's carbon-free vision," said Li Shuo, a China analyst with Greenpeace, of China's vow to strengthen its targets under the Paris agreement.

He said in an email exchange that China should aim to have its absolute emissions peak before 2025, compared to their pledge last year of a peak sometime before 2030.

And via Bloomberg, Byford Tsang of the climate think tank E3G said: “While this is a step in the right direction, it falls short of what is required to achieve its 2060 neutrality target.”

It's among the recent pledges that big emitters are rolling out in recent weeks and days.

  • EU officials yesterday reached a deal to cut emissions 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, though many specifics about implementing the plan remain to be worked out.

  • Also yesterday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the U.K. would end support for fossil fuel projects overseas.

  • The U.K. vowed to "end export finance, aid funding and trade promotion for new crude oil, natural gas or thermal coal projects, with very limited exceptions."

The Trump administration did not have anyone speak at the summit. President-elect Biden is vowing not only to rejoin the Paris agreement but also to rally countries to take new steps.

  • "I’ll immediately start working with my counterparts around the world to do all that we possibly can, including by convening the leaders of major economies for a climate summit within my first 100 days in office," Biden said in a statement today.

  • Biden is also vowing aggressive new U.S. policies, though his agenda — which includes 100% carbon-free power by 2035 — faces huge hurdles, especially the long odds of moving sweeping legislation.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
×