Annual emission target reached
CHINA’S carbon emissions per unit of gross domestic product were down by about 4 percent in 2018, beating the annual target by 0.1 percentage points, an official said yesterday.
By 2018, China had slashed carbon intensity, or the amount of carbon emissions per unit of GDP, by 45.8 percent from 2005 levels, meeting the target of a 40 to 45 percent decrease by 2020 ahead of schedule, Zhao Yingmin, vice-minister of ecology and environment, said.
The figure can be translated to 5.26 billion fewer tons of carbon dioxide emitted since 2005. The share of non-fossil fuels in China’s primary energy consumption stood at 14.3 percent at the end of last year, Zhao said.
Power generated from renewable energy sources accounted for 26.7 percent of total power output in 2018, according to Zhao.
“Tasked with missions like improving the people’s livelihood and eradicating poverty, we will remain committed to addressing climate change and deliver on our promises 100 percent,” said Zhao.
China will uphold multilateralism in implementing the Paris Agreement, said Zhao, making the remarks before the 25th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Tackling climate change
China has been issuing the report every year since 2009. This year’s annual report added a new section regarding human health in tackling climate change.
Zhao said tackling climate change will have a profound impact on humanity, not only on the natural environment, but also directly on human health through the natural environment.
The Chinese government attaches great importance to human health. “We are trying to enhance the public service ability and management level of adapting to climate change, promote health monitoring, investigation and risk assessment system and standard system,” the vice minister said.
“The impact on human health reflects the global and long-term impacts of climate change, which are closely related to social well-being and the people,” said Zhao.
(Xinhua)