China unveils new ‘climate goal’ at UN summit

China — the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide — announced its first concrete target to cut emissions, at the United Nations high-level climate summit. China has signalled renewed global momentum to fight climate change.

President Xi Jinping pledged that China would reduce its emissions by 7% to 10% by 2035. Currently, China accounts for more than 31% of global carbon dioxide emissions.

The Chinese President also outlined steps to accelerate the transition toward clean energy, including a sixfold increase in wind and solar power from 2020 levels, mainstreaming electric vehicles, and building a ‘climate adaptive society.’ His statement came ahead of the major international climate negotiations scheduled in Brazil in November.

More than 100 world leaders attended the summit, convened by UN Secretary-General António Guterres during the General Assembly, to push for urgent measures to curb fossil fuel use. After over six hours of speeches, about 100 nations — responsible for roughly two-thirds of global emissions — announced new or updated plans to limit greenhouse gases, according to UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed.

The European Union followed China’s announcement with a pledge to cut emissions by 66% to 72%, though it has yet to formally submit its plan. Experts, however, cautioned that even these targets may fall short. Jake Schmidt of the Natural Resources Defense Council warned they are “not enough to keep us safe from climate destruction.”

Leaders also responded to skepticism over climate change. Xi, in what many saw as a response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent criticism of renewable energy, stressed that “while some countries are acting against it, the international community should stay focused on the right direction.” Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva added, “No one is safe from the effects of climate change. Borders cannot stop storms or droughts.”

Small island nations and vulnerable countries delivered stark warnings. Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine described rising tides destroying hospitals and schools, while Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the 2020s a “decisive decade,” underscoring the urgency of collective action.

Guterres summed up the general mood at the summit stating, “The science demands action. The law commands it. The economics compel it. And people are calling for it.”