Advertisement

China issues plan for path to peak emissions and carbon neutral goal

  • Share of non-fossil fuels in energy consumption to reach 25 per cent by 2030, with targeted drop of 65 per cent in carbon intensity from 2005 level
  • Framework restates country’s goals for 2025 and 2030 and comes just ahead of the UN climate summit in Glasgow

Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
The installed capacity of coal-fired power plants in China is to be strictly controlled, according to a policy document. Photo: Reuters
China has released a framework for its path towards peak emissions and carbon neutrality ahead of the critical United Nations climate summit that begins in Glasgow on Sunday.
Advertisement
The State Council on Tuesday issued the action plan for the country to peak carbon emissions before 2030, in which it restated the country’s climate goals for 2025 and 2030.

By 2030, the share of non-fossil fuels in China’s energy consumption is set to increase to 25 per cent from less than 16 per cent in 2020, and it is targeting a 65 per cent drop in carbon intensity – or carbon emissions per unit of GDP – from the 2005 level, according to the plan.

“[China aims to] smoothly achieve its peak carbon emissions target by 2030,” the document said.

It listed several industrial sectors that are to reach peak carbon emissions by 2030, including steel, non-ferrous metals, building materials and petrochemicals.

Advertisement

The plan also said the development of projects with high energy consumption and emissions would be curbed, while the increase of coal consumption to 2025 would be strictly controlled before it is gradually phased down in the following five years.

Advertisement