Can China Keep Its Remarkable Climate Promise?
The world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases says it will be carbon-neutral by 2060. It’s a momentous undertaking — and a tall order.
China’s still approving new coal plants.
Photographer: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images
President Xi Jinping recently announced that China would reduce its net carbon dioxide emissions to zero by 2060. This commitment is unquestionably a breakthrough. It binds China, currently responsible for roughly 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions, to a far more ambitious program of carbon abatement than most observers had thought likely. It also puts political pressure on other governments — including America’s — to make and keep stronger commitments of their own.
But can China do it? A promise made by the country’s leader certainly won’t be taken lightly. China is a global champion in developing and deploying clean technologies. And the government exerts close control over much of the economy. Even so, the goal is extremely ambitious. Meeting it will require China to take some bold steps, and soon.