This Day, That Year

40 years on

On June 4, 2007, China launched its first national climate change program, as seen in this article from China Daily.

The program was an important event, as nations were debating the next steps in the international efforts to tackle human-induced climate change.

It laid out an array of actions that China would take to mitigate its greenhouse gas emissions, promote energy conservation, and encourage the growth of the renewable and nuclear energy sectors and clean energy technology.

Since 2008, China has released an annual report on the country’s policies and actions to address climate change.

The country signed the Paris Agreement in April 2016, giving a strong push to international efforts against global warming.

China, as the largest developing country, played an exemplary role in securing the agreement and it is tackling climate change by setting self-imposed emission targets that will see its carbon emissions peak by 2030 or earlier.

It has also promised to cut its carbon intensity — carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP — by up to 65 percent by 2030 compared with 2005 levels.

China became the leading destination for renewable energy investment last year, accounting for $127 billion or 45 percent of global investment. A record 98 gigawatts of solar power capacity was installed worldwide last year, with China contributing 53 gigawatts, or more than half.