Mapping path to carbon neutrality
Print Edition
Chinese authorities have unveiled a guiding document to achieve carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals under the new development philosophy, laying out key specific targets and measures for the coming decades.
By 2030, China’s carbon dioxide emissions will peak, stabilize and then decline, and by 2060, China will be carbon neutral and have fully established a green, low-carbon and circular economy, it says, reiterating the country’s previous pledge.
“We are firmly committed to a green, low-carbon and high-quality development path that gives primacy to ecological civilization,” says the document titled “Working Guidance for Carbon Dioxide Peaking and Carbon Neutrality in Full and Faithful Implementation of the New Development Philosophy.”
The document, jointly released on Sunday by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, outlines five major tasks, including creating a green, low-carbon and circular economy, improving energy efficiency, increasing the share of non-fossil energy consumption, lowering CO2 emissions and boosting the carbon sink capacity of ecosystems.
China aims to gradually increase the share of non-fossil energy consumption to around 20 percent by 2025, around 25 percent by 2030, and over 80 percent by 2060.
In 2019, non-fossil energy accounted for 15.3 percent of total energy consumption, up 5.6 percentage points from 2012. By 2025, carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP will be lowered by 18 percent from the 2020 level, and by 2030 will have dropped more than 65 percent from the 2005 level.
By 2025, China’s energy consumption per unit of GDP will be 13.5 percent lower than the 2020 level, forest coverage will have reached 24.1 percent, and the forest stock volume will have risen to 18 billion cubic meters.
By 2030, China’s total installed capacity of wind and solar power will reach over 1,200 gigawatts, forest coverage will have reached about 25 percent, and the forest stock volume will have reached 19 billion cubic meters.
By 2060, China will have fully established a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient energy system, with energy efficiency reaching the advanced international level, according to the guideline.
“These targets are set in light of China’s development stage and own situation, and indicate that China will complete the world’s most dramatic reduction in carbon emission intensity, and realize carbon neutrality from carbon peaking in the shortest time in global history,” said an official with the National Development and Reform Commission.
Compared with developed countries, China faces a relatively tight window to reach carbon neutrality after CO2 emissions peak and is in urgent need of enhancing top-level design, the official said.
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