COP28: China to release 2030, 2035 national climate targets in 2025

China plans to release its 2030 and 2035 national climate targets under the Paris Agreement's framework in 2025, Xie Zhenhua, the country's Special Climate Envoy, said Dec. 1 at the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai.

Paris Agreement signatories have to set climate targets, or Nationally Determined Contributions, and update them over time. Countries are expected to propose their 2035 NDCs in 2025, Xie said.

"The Chinese government takes this matter very seriously. We plan to propose our 2030 and 2035 NDCs in 2025, and come up with new measures for implementation," he said, noting COP28 would provide solutions paving the way for China's upcoming targets and measures.

"We are very willing to cooperate with foreign entrepreneurs, and welcome all entrepreneurs to come to China, cooperate in China, and work together to achieve global goals and benefit future generations," Xie said.

The Chinese delegation at COP28 has made it clear it wants to foster greater cooperation in clean energy industries, in part to sustain the country's dominance in solar PV products, wind turbines, electric vehicles and hydrogen electrolyzers.

These markets are seen as critical to China amid increasing competition, notably as a result of policies in the US and EU to diversify supply chains, support domestic production and reduce dependency on China's exports.

Peak carbon by 2030

China's current NDC climate plan targets peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030, and carbon neutrality before 2060. Meanwhile the country has committed to lower its carbon intensity by over 65% in 2030 from 2005 levels.

The plan also includes increasing the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to around 25% in 2030 and increase installed capacity of wind and solar power to over 1,200 GW by 2030.

Since the Paris Agreement in 2015, China had reduced its carbon intensity (CO2 emissions per Yuan of GDP) by 51% from 2005 levels, Ding Xuexiang, the country's Vice Premier, said earlier at COP28, noting that 50.9% of the country's power generation mix was already non-fossil fuel-based.

For 2030 and 2035 targets, there have been calls, especially from developed economies, for China to come up with a plan to reduce unabated coal-fired power generation, contribute more to climate funds, and reform its carbon market into a more stringent scheme with an absolute cap and higher prices.

China's coal-fired generation capacity additions almost doubled year on year to reach 9 GW in the third quarter, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights' China Power Market Briefing on Nov. 22. Meanwhile, China added 24.3 GW of solar capacity, 10.5 GW of wind capacity and 2.5 GW of hydro capacity during the same period.