Xi announces more commitments by China to back global climate actions

BEIJING:

President Xi Jinping has announced further commitments by China for 2030 to contribute more to tackle the global climate challenge and called for an alternative approach by the international community to climate governance, underscoring the importance of green recovery.

According to the 2030 Climate Target Plan, the European Commission has proposed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 per cent by 2030, increasing the European Union’s ambition on reducing greenhouse gases and setting Europe on a path to becoming climate neutral by 2050.

Xi, addressing the Climate Ambition Summit on Saturday via a video link as the world marked the 5th anniversary of the historic Paris climate agreement aimed at curbing global warming, said that China has made important contributions to adopting the landmark Paris agreement and active efforts in its implementation.

The summit was co-hosted by the United Nations, the United Kingdom and France in partnership with Chile and Italy, and brought together global climate leaders — across governments, business and civil society — to ramp up climate ambition and help deliver on the Paris Agreement.

Referring to his announcement in September that China would scale up its nationally determined contributions and adopt more vigorous policies and measures, Xi announced China’s further commitments for 2030 to tackle the global climate challenge.

He said that China will lower its carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by over 65 per cent from the 2005 level, increase the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to around 25 per cent, increase the forest stock volume by 6 billion cubic meters from the 2005 level, and bring its total installed capacity of wind and solar power to over 1.2 billion kilowatts, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

The US and China are the top two polluters of the world.

Chances for implementing the Paris Agreement on climate change have brightened after US President-elect Joe Biden promised to implementing the Paris deal on the first day of his presidency, reversing President Donald Trump’s decision to pull the US out of it. (PTI)

ALSO READ:

Also Read: Khalistan supporters vandalise Mahatma Gandhi's statue outside Indian embassy in US