Chinese FM spokesperson confirms China's commitment to carbon neutrality

China is undergoing a wide-ranging and profound transformation in its economy and society to achieve the goal of peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060, a spokesperson from Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday, in response to International Energy Agency (IEA)’s pushing for China to achieve carbon neutrality ten years earlier than its target. 

Rich and developing nations alike must actively improve their net-zero targets, the IEA said on Tuesday, warning that a clean energy surge was the main reason the world’s climate goals are still within reach.

Wealthy countries must now reach carbon neutrality by around 2045, five years early, and China should speed up by a decade to 2050 to keep to the Paris goal of limiting warming to 1.5 deg C above pre-industrial levels, the IEA said.

China has set the target of peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and will achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.

In response to the IEA’s urging, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday that China is a practitioner of ecological protection and an active participant in climate governance. It has consistently taken proactive measures in line with its national circumstances to shoulder international responsibilities and continually enhance its efforts to address climate change.

Building upon the early achievement of its climate action goals for 2020, China has, since September 2020, successively announced a comprehensive vision for peak carbon dioxide emissions and increased its national voluntary contributions. It has also introduced a series of policies and measures, addressing various aspects including domestic coal consumption and coal-fired power projects overseas, according to Wang. 

To achieve these goals, China is undergoing a wide-ranging and profound transformation in its economy and society, which requires strenuous efforts. It's important to emphasize China's unwavering determination and pragmatic actions in combating climate change, which have garnered high recognition and widespread praise from the international community, Wang noted.