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China
China: A Short Way to Go

On October 28, 2021, China submitted its updated NDC. 

The NDC reaffirms targets announced by President Xi Jinping at the UN General Assembly in September 2021: It commits to peak CO2 emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060; to lower its CO2 emissions per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) by over 65% from the 2005 level and to increase the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to around 25%. It pledges to increase forest stock volume by 6 billion m3 from the 2005 levels, and brings total installed capacity of wind and solar power to over 1.2 billion kW. 

In a separate statement in September 2021, China also pledged to stop financing coal abroad. In addition to its NDC, China intends to develop a comprehensive and ambitious National Action Plan on methane, aiming to achieve a significant effect on methane emissions control and reductions in the 2020s. WWF welcomes such pledges and announcements. 

At COP26, China and the US issued a joint statement recalling their firm commitment to work together and with other Parties to strengthen implementation of the Paris Agreement. Both countries state they also intend to develop additional measures to enhance methane emission control, at both the national and sub-national levels. 

In mid-June 2022, The Adaptation Strategy was published, establishing qualitative targets for China for 2035, albeit with some measurable targets, aiming to develop a climate resilient society. China also presented a Long Term Strategy in November 2021.

According to the Checklist for the NDCs We Want and taking into account that China is an upper-middle income economy responsible for around 26% of global greenhouse gas emissions, we consider that the 2021 NDC has a short way to go to become the NDC We Want