China pledges to reach carbon neutrality by 2060
The surprise announcement by the world's largest emitter was hailed as a potential turning point for global climate efforts.
China, the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, surprised the world this September by pledging to reach carbon neutrality before 2060 and to have its emissions peak before 2030, a commitment hailed as potentially one of the most significant developments in global climate policy in years.
The announcement, made by President Xi Jinping in a video address to the United Nations, was unexpected in its ambition. As the source of roughly a quarter of global emissions, China's trajectory is decisive for the world's chances of limiting warming, and a credible commitment from Beijing to eventually eliminate its net carbon emissions carried enormous weight.
Analysts estimated that, if achieved, the pledge could by itself meaningfully reduce projected global warming, given China's outsized role. The announcement also raised pressure on other major emitters and injected momentum into international climate efforts at a difficult time.
The scale of the challenge for China is immense. The country remains heavily dependent on coal, which it continues to burn and build, even as it leads the world in the manufacture and deployment of solar panels, wind turbines and electric vehicles. Reconciling its growth and energy security with its climate goals will require a vast transformation.
Questions remained about how China would deliver on the pledge and how quickly it would move away from coal. But the commitment reset expectations, signalling that the world's largest emitter saw its long-term future in a low-carbon economy, and reshaping the landscape of global climate diplomacy.