Preface

Climate change is a challenge for all of humanity. The sustainable development of the Chinese nation and the future of the planet depend on tackling it successfully.

China attaches great importance to its response to climate change. As the largest developing country in the world, China has adopted a number of policies, measures and actions to tackle climate change and take part in global climate governance, despite the difficulties this creates for its own economic and social development. These efforts have achieved positive results.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) convened in 2012, guided by Xi Jinping thought on eco-civilization and committed to the new development philosophy, China has made the response to climate change a higher priority in state governance. It has steadily reduced the intensity of its carbon emissions, reinforced the effort to achieve its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and maximized its drive to mitigate climate change. It has adopted green and low-carbon approaches in its economic and social development, and worked to build a modernized country in which humanity and nature coexist in harmony.

At the general debate of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 22, 2020, President Xi Jinping announced that China would scale up its NDCs by adopting more vigorous policies and measures, strive to peak CO2 emissions before 2030, and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. China is taking pragmatic actions towards these goals.

As a responsible country, China is committed to building a global climate governance system that is fair, rational, cooperative and beneficial to all, and makes its due contribution to tackling climate change using its greatest strengths and most effective solutions. Confronted by the challenges of climate change, China is willing to work together with the international community to ensure the Paris Agreement delivers steady and lasting results, and make greater contribution to the global response.

The Chinese government is publishing this white paper to document its progress in mitigating climate change, and to share its experience and approaches with the rest of the international community.