Will China reduce their carbon emissions per GDP by 60% by 2030?

Although the United States has announced intentions to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, 194 countries are still part of the agreement, including China, the world's #1 carbon dioxide emitter.

Under the agreement, each country sets its own emission reduction goals. China's goal was to reduce emissions by 60-65% per unit GDP by 2030. This means that the country plans to reduce the emissions intensity, or the ratio of emissions to gross domestic product, a measure that ties emissions goals to economic growth. If achieved, by 2030 China will emit around 13-14 gigatons of CO2-equivalent greenhouse gases per year, whereas today the country accounts for 10.6 gigatons per year, or 29.5% of the global total. Current projections estimate that China will better than meet its goal, with 2030 emissions around 12-14 gigatons per year.

Analysts say that China's goal is achievable, thanks to a decrease in coal use in the country. But the slowdown in emissions may not be enough to limit global temperature rise to only 2 degrees C.

Other goals of China's by 2030:

• Peaking of carbon dioxide emissions around 2030 and making best efforts to peak early;

• Increasing the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to around 20 percent; and

• Increasing the forest stock volume by around 4.5 billion cubic meters from the 2005 level.

Currently, China is making good progress toward all of these goals.