‘Two sessions’ 2022: Carbon neutrality high on agenda as delegates offer proposals on new energy vehicles, green AI and blue carbon
- China will ‘take orderly steps’ to achieve peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality, and ‘work harder’ to make coal use cleaner, Premier Li Keqiang said on Saturday
- Geely Auto founder Li Shufu put forward suggestions on the adoption of methanol-powered vehicles to help achieve carbon neutrality in transport
Climate change and carbon neutrality were high on the agenda at China’s annual Two Sessions meetings that kicked off on Saturday, with government leaders and delegates from the private sector discussing ways to support the country’s zero-carbon goals.
In 2022, China will “take orderly steps” to achieve peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality, and “work harder” to make coal use cleaner and more efficient while reducing the use of coal at the same time, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said when delivering the annual government work report in Beijing on Saturday.
The country will also shift from assessing the total amount and intensity of energy consumption to doing the same for carbon emissions, according to Li.
China’s top legislature, the National People’s Congress (NPC), began its annual meeting on Saturday. Along with the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the NPC is one of the biggest events on China’s political calendar, as delegates from all sectors of society are invited to offer proposals and suggestions that could be included in the central government’s policies for the year.
In addition to the economy, green and low-carbon development was one of the major talking points on the first day of the NPC, as the deadline for China to meet its target of peak national carbon emissions is 2030, while it has pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060.