‘Underwhelming’: China’s new climate target falls far short, experts say

Climate experts criticize China’s new pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as “disappointing” and “underwhelming.” They warn that the pledge falls far short of the steps required to prevent a global warming.

However, the objective also raised concerns that China, which has so far only committed to lowering emissions, might eventually be able to achieve much more ambitious reductions as a result of a significant increase in renewable energy capacity.

Chinese President Xi Jinping stated in a video message to the UN on Wednesday that China would reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 7 to 10% from their all-time highs by 2035.

China, the biggest pollutant in the world, set out a goal to completely reduce emissions for the first time.

Xi also pledged to increase wind and solar capacity by sixfold in 2020 and increase the share of non-fossil fuel sources in energy consumption by more than 30%.

While China’s goal falls far short of the Paris Agreement’s goals, according to some analysts, which is a significant moment in the global fight against climate change at a time when the United States is giving up efforts to reduce emissions.

This target will not reduce emissions, according to Bill Hare, CEO of Berlin-based policy institute Climate Analytics, who stated to Al Jazeera, “which is regrettable very disappointing.”

China’s performance far exceeds its highest possible ambition, and it hardly reflects this.

According to the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), China would need to reduce emissions in accordance with the Paris Agreement by about 30%.

The average global temperature must not rise above pre-industrial levels in accordance with the agreement, which was signed by 195 nations in 2015.

Following President Donald Trump’s exit from the Paris Agreement, which China has criticized as “the greatest con ever committed on the world,” in his UN speech this week, China’s actions on climate are viewed as particularly crucial.

Li Shuo, director of the China Climate Hub at the Asia Society Policy Institute, stated on Al Jazeera that “China’s underwhelming headline target misses a chance to deliver real leadership.”

When science demands a full sprint, Beijing is “choosing to tiptoe forward.” Unfortunately, the pledge would still lead to disastrous climate effects for the world.

Important issues with the emissions target, such as how Beijing would define peak emissions, were left unanswered by Xi’s announcement.

Many climate experts think that China’s emissions have reached or will exceed the previous year’s high, but some observers think that the trend has been influenced by both the decline in business activity during the COVID-19 pandemic and the development of renewable energy.

China’s efforts to combat climate change have had a paradoxical impact.

The nation is a leader in green energy, accounting for roughly one-third of the world’s emissions.

According to the International Energy Agency, China produces 70% of its electric cars and about 80% of the world’s solar panels.

According to London-based energy think tank Ember, the nation also produces about 60% of wind turbines worldwide.

China has continued to make significant investments in coal at the same time.

The CREA reported that nearly 100 gigawatts (GW) of new or suspended coal power projects were being constructed last year, which is the most in a decade.

“China’s new pledge clearly falls short of what was anticipated. The country has just approved more projects than it has ever done in nearly a decade, according to Andreas Sieber, associate director of policy and campaigns at 350.org, despite President Xi’s earlier pledge to strictly control new coal power.

The targets announced today, which are ambiguous on the base year and conservative on renewables, leave plenty of room for coal-heavy sectors to increase their emissions.

Climate experts expressed hope that China’s target could be a&nbsp, a sign of further transformative change.

Beijing has a tendency to set goals that it can “confidently deliver,” according to Yao Zhe, a Beijing-based policy adviser at Greenpeace East Asia, despite the announcement’s undercrowding.

According to Yao, “the actual decarbonization of China’s economy is likely to exceed its target on paper,” Yao said in a statement in response to the target. According to her organization, emissions from China’s power sector could reach peak this year.

China is more effective than most to encourage climate change, according to Li of the Asia Society.

The nation has come out as a global clean tech superpower, and its dominance in the field might help it surpass its current goals, he said.

Source: Aljazeera