cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/45227919 > Archived > > […] > > For the first time, China set a specific target for reducing emissions. However, it falls short of what analysts say is needed to meet the Paris goal of limiting average global temperature increase to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), and ideally to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit), compared to the 1850s. > > Xi announced in a video message to a U.N. climate meeting in September that China would cut greenhouse gas emissions by 7% to 10% by 2035, and would strive to do even better than that. > > Modeling by multiple climate experts shows that China would need to cut emissions by around 30% for the world to be on track to the Paris goal. > > “This is disappointing as China has the opportunity to decarbonize faster,” Norah Zhang, an analyst at Climate Action Tracker, said after Xi’s announcement. > > Previously, China had not pledged to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions. Instead, it promised to reduce its emissions relative to the size of its economy — so they could still grow but at a slower pace than the economy. Its goal has been to have CO2 emissions peak before 2030. > > […]