At a press conference on November 27th, Xie Zhenhua, China’s special representative on climate change, presented the results of the government’s annual report “China’s Policies and Actions for Addressing Climate Change (2018)”. At the end of 2017, China’s carbon emission per unit of GDP has decreased by about 46% compared to 2005. That means that China has achieved its 2020 goal of reducing carbon intensity by 40% to 45% three years ahead of schedule. The carbon intensity target is both included in China’s current five-year plan and the country’s Copenhagen pledge. The target for forest stocks has already been exceeded, with an increase of 2.1 billion cubic meters compared to 2005 levels. The target is set at 1.3 billion cubic metres. Xie Zhenhua expects the third main target is to increase the share of non-fossil energy to 15% by 2020. By the end of last year, the share of non-fossil energy accounted for 13.8%. Read more
China issues National Climate Plan for 2026–2030
On 27 July 2026, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) and 18 other national authorities jointly issued the “National Climate Change Plan for the 15th Five-Year Plan Period”. The plan covers the period 2026–2030 and addresses mitigation, adaptation, carbon markets, product carbon footprints and climate governance.
The plan builds on the objectives of the general 15th Five-Year Plan (FYP) for National Economic and Social Development, adopted in March 2026, and of the State Council’s “Action Plan for Carbon Peaking during the 15th Five-Year Plan Period”, issued earlier this month. While the “Action Plan for Carbon Peaking” focuses mainly on energy and sectoral carbon dioxide (CO2) reductions, the new national climate plan also addresses non-CO2 gases, climate risk and the data systems needed to implement climate policy.
