China ‘well placed’ to beat its carbon emission targets, experts say
- Coal consumption has already reached a plateau and power and steel industries are expected to reach peak emissions by 2025
- At the same time, about half of the country’s cities and provinces are moving over to renewable sources of energy
Researchers say China’s coal consumption has already reached a plateau and about half of its provinces and municipalities have reached peak emissions, with power and steel industries expected to do so during the 14th five-year plan for 2021-25.
Xi said last year China would reach carbon neutrality by 2060, with its emissions peaking before 2030. He reiterated the pledge at a Politburo meeting on Friday, according to state news agency Xinhua, and stressed that the country always kept its word.
“Achieving peak carbon and carbon neutrality is a solemn commitment to the world and will bring about profound economic and social transformation that is by no means easy,” he said. “High-energy consuming and high-emission projects that do not meet requirements must be resolutely taken down.”
With the US and European Union announcing more aggressive emission reduction targets, China is under increasing international pressure to commit to a more ambitious reduction at the COP 26 climate summit in Glasgow later this year.
At last week’s virtual climate summit of world leaders, Xi said China was drawing up a plan and taking strong nationwide action towards reaching peak carbon. This would include support for qualifying localities, key sectors and companies to take the lead, he added.
Zou Ji, president of Energy Foundation China, a non-governmental research group, said the probability of reaching peak emissions nationwide by 2025 was high.