China has fulfilled more than pledged on carbon reduction
The achievements in pollution control, ecological protection and recovery, and green development that China has made in the past decade were highlighted at a Friday press briefing on the sidelines of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), where a senior official underlined China’s participation and leadership in global climate governance.
According to the press conference, China has become the fastest country in terms of improving air quality, with the PM2.5 level in cities at the prefecture level and above dropping by 34.8 percent from 2015. Days with good air quality reached 87.5 percent.
Pollution of water bodies and the soil is also being effectively tackled, Zhai Qing, vice minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and deputy to the congress, said at the press briefing.
Meanwhile, ecological systems are being protected and restored. National parks are being established and more than 300 endangered animal and plant species saw their wild populations recover, marking achievements in protecting ecological diversity, Zhai said.
Zhai also said green development has made firm steps forward, while carbon peak and neutrality goals are being written into development plans. In 2021, the country’s carbon emission per GDP unit dropped 34.4 percent from the 2012 level.
Ma Jun, director of the Beijingbased Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, said that through efforts in pollution control and ecological protection over the past decade, China has basically reversed the trend of environmental degradation.
The bold carbon reduction goals, which have prompted more countries to follow suit, suggested that China has evolved from a participant to a leader in climate governance, Ma said.
As global climate cooperation is facing challenges and risks of retrogression, China upholding climate promises and ecological ideals will be essential for the world’s pursuit of better coping with climate change, Ma noted.