China’s ambitions in achieving low-carbon development, as laid out by the third plenum of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, held in Beijing last month, have won applause from international climate and clean energy experts. Compared with most countries that have made carbon neutrality commitments, China’s economic growth is still on an upward trend and has not completely decoupled from carbon emissions. The time it will take China to achieve its carbon neutrality vision, from “peak” to “zero carbon,” is only about half that of developed countries like Germany and the United Kingdom. This level of transformation is unprecedented, and China’s determination to address climate change is evident.
Ecological and Environmental Progress
According to official assessments from China, the past five years have been the most effective in improving the quality of the country’s ecological environment and in developing the cause of ecological environment protection. In 2019, China’s carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP decreased by about 48.1% compared to 2005, exceeding the carbon reduction target originally set for 2020. Additionally, China has been the world’s largest investor in renewable energy for several consecutive years, with its global share remaining stable at around 30% since 2015. The installed capacity and power generation of renewable energy have consistently ranked first in the world for many years.
Green Economy’s Vitality
The green economy is showing great vitality in China, strongly proving that seeking development opportunities through nature conservation can fully achieve a win-win situation for ecological protection and economic growth. This also provides a new model for sustainable development worldwide. Mauricio Santoro, an international relations expert at Rio de Janeiro State University in Brazil, believes that China’s promotion of a green economy and investment in new technologies during its development process has shown developing countries that development and environmental protection can coexist.
International Cooperation and Future Outlook
China actively integrates into multilateral energy governance and participates in international energy cooperation under multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations, G20, APEC, and BRICS. Over the past five years, China was the first to release the “China Implementation Plan for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” and the first to sign and ratify the Convention on Biological Diversity. Carolina Schmitt, President of the 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference, commented that China plays an important role in implementing the Paris Agreement, promoting consensus among countries, and jointly addressing global climate issues.
The 14th Five-Year Plan
According to China’s 14th Five-Year Plan, significant achievements are expected in the green transformation of production and lifestyle in the next five years, with the total emissions of major pollutants set to continue decreasing. By 2035, China’s carbon emissions will peak and gradually decrease, leading to a fundamental improvement in the ecological environment, and the goal of building a “Beautiful China” will be essentially achieved.
It is anticipated that China, which values keeping its promises, will promote comprehensive green transformation in economic and social development under the guidance of its new development concept, solidly achieving its climate change goals. However, as UN Secretary-General António Guterres has emphasized, addressing climate change requires global action. China has fulfilled its commitments and hopes that more countries will take action to build a clean and beautiful world, leaving a sustainable “green bank” for future generations.
