China's climate change targets for the next couple of decades will ensure its accumulative carbon dioxide emissions are less than the United States and Europe by 2030, a Chinese scientist has said.
Zou Ji, vice director of the National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation (NCSC), said the recently pledged targets were appropriate, and in line with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
China's determined contributions to the global fight against climate change were announced on June 30.
These ambitious targets include an up to 65 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) from the 2005 level by 2030, and achieving a peak in carbon dioxide emissions around 2030.
"Developed countries' carbon dioxide emissions peaked when per capita GDP was between 20,000 and 25,000 U.S. dollars, while China will peak when its per capita GDP is between 14,000 and 15,000 U.S. dollars, around 2030," Zou said.
He predicts China's annual per capita carbon dioxide emissions' peak will be no more than 10 tonnes, about half the level in the United States.
"China is doing its utmost while playing to its own strengths in fighting climate change," he said.
China aims to reduce carbon emissions by an average annual rate of 3.6 percent to 4.1 percent between 2005 and 2030, a faster rate than the United States and EU, NCSC director Li Junfeng said.
