On Wednesday, China unveiled its plans for future greenhouse gas emission cuts, drawing sharp criticism from experts who called the targets too weak to prevent a global crisis.
As the world’s second-largest economy and by far the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, China’s decisions on how quickly it transitions to a low-carbon model will heavily influence whether global temperatures remain within safe limits.
China aims to reduce emissions by 7% to 10% from their peak by 2035—far below the 30% reduction experts say is both feasible and necessary.
President Xi Jinping announced the plan during a United Nations General Assembly climate summit in New York on Wednesday afternoon. U.S. President Donald Trump, who dismissed the climate crisis as a “con job” in a meandering speech the day before, was not in attendance.
Xi made a veiled reference to the U.S., stating that “some countries” were not meeting their climate responsibilities. He urged the international community to “stay focused on the right direction” and emphasized that developing countries’ rights must be respected.
However, experts argued that China is failing to show leadership with its latest commitments. Kaysie Brown of the E3G think tank noted that the 2035 target falls critically short of what is needed and is misaligned with both China’s decarbonization efforts and its 2060 carbon neutrality goal. She warned that without stronger near-term ambition, China risks undermining its credibility on multilateralism and clean energy leadership.
Still, some observers pointed out that China has a history of setting modest targets and then exceeding them. One climate diplomacy insider remarked, “Underpromising and overdelivering is what we expect from China.”
Bernice Lee of Chatham House suggested that other governments and businesses will look at China’s overall direction rather than the specifics of its plan. She highlighted that China invested $625 billion in clean energy last year—31% of the global total—and its clean energy boom is already reshaping the global economy and displacing coal domestically.
Under the Paris Agreement, China’s national plan also includes increasing non-fossil fuels to over 30% of its energy mix and expanding wind and solar capacity to 3,600 gigawatts—more than six times the 2020 level.
Clean energy already accounts for over 10% of China’s GDP and about a quarter of its economic growth. The country’s production of solar panels and other components has driven down global renewable energy costs by around 90% over the past decade. China has also revolutionized electric vehicle and battery technology, accelerating their adoption worldwide.
Despite these advances, China remains heavily reliant on coal, which continues to receive strong political backing. New coal power plants are still being developed, despite a 2021 pledge to “phase down” coal use.
Paul Bledsoe, a former climate adviser to the Clinton administration, commented that China’s new commitment is a positive sign that its climate policies are progressing.The clean energy transition is starting to help reduce emissions, but progress is not happening fast enough. China could achieve its climate goals much sooner—by the end of this decade.
Specifically, China must commit to closing many of its outdated coalmines. These mines are not only the world’s largest single source of CO2 emissions, but also account for 20% of global methane emissions from fossil fuels.
China’s commitments will play a key role in shaping the upcoming Cop30 UN climate summit in Brazil this November. There, all countries are expected to present their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in line with the Paris Agreement.
The UN’s climate chief has already acknowledged to the Guardian that the pledges to be made in Belém will fall short of the emissions cuts needed to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels—the central goal of the 2015 Paris Agreement.
The challenge for the UN, Brazil, and countries striving to avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis will be to demonstrate how these insufficient national targets can be strengthened and to outline a global plan that ensures the Paris Agreement is met.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about the topic Experts warn that Chinas emission reduction targets are insufficient to prevent a global disaster designed to be clear concise and natural
FAQs Chinas Emission Reduction Targets and Global Climate Goals
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What are emission reduction targets
They are specific goals set by a country to lower the amount of greenhouse gases it releases into the atmosphere usually by a certain date
2 Why is Chinas role so important in climate change
China is the worlds largest emitter of greenhouse gases producing more than a quarter of the global total What China does significantly impacts the entire planets climate trajectory
3 What is the global disaster experts are referring to
It primarily refers to catastrophic climate change effects including more extreme weather significant sealevel rise and irreversible damage to ecosystems leading to widespread human and economic costs
4 What are Chinas current climate targets
China has pledged to peak its carbon emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060
IntermediateLevel Questions
5 Why do experts say Chinas targets are insufficient
Scientists calculate that to limit global warming to 15C global emissions need to be cut much faster and deeper Chinas current pace and targets are not aligned with this urgent timeline making the 15C goal very difficult to achieve
6 Isnt China a leader in renewable energy like solar and wind
Yes China is the worlds largest producer and installer of renewable energy However it is also still building new coalfired power plants at a rapid rate The growth in clean energy is not yet fast enough to completely offset its reliance on fossil fuels
7 What would sufficient targets look like
Sufficient targets would involve a much steeper and earlier peak in emissions a rapid phaseout of coal and achieving netzero closer to 2050 to be in line with global scientific recommendations
Advanced Practical Questions
8 What are the main challenges holding China back from setting more ambitious goals
Key challenges include
Energy Security Reliance on coal for stable power and industrial output
