Speaking at the UN Climate Summit on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, Chinese President, Xi Jinping, announced China’s updated national climate pledge (NDC) under the Paris Agreement.
In his address, he outlined the key elements of the new target, confirming that China would reduce its economy’s greenhouse gas emissions by 7-10% by 2035 from peak levels, striving to do better.
Key newly outlined Elements in China’s updated NDC:
- A binding economy-wide emission reduction target of 7-10% by 2035 from peak levels, “striving to do better”.
- Expand national emission trading market to heavily emitting sectors
- Increase share of non-fossil fuels in total energy consumption to over 30%
Further Background:
- Earlier in 2025, President Xi Jinping confirmed that China’s new NDC will cover the entire economy and encompass all greenhouse gases.
- With estimated emissions of 15.8 Gt CO₂e in 2024, China stands as the world’s largest emitter, accounting for roughly 32% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
- According to UNEP analysis, China could reduce emissions by at least 28-37% by 2035
- 2025 marks a turning point: China’s emissions have now peaked, with clear signs of structural decline – hence 2025 is likely to serve as the base year for the target.
In a reaction, Andreas Sieber, Associate Director of Policy and Campaigns, 350.org, said: “China’s new climate target is both underwhelming and transformative. Reducing emissions by 7-10% by 2035 from peak levels falls short of what the world needs, yet it anchors the world’s largest emitter on a path where clean-tech defines economic leadership.
“With its booming renewable sector, climate ambition is now squarely in the country’s self-interest. China has often under-promised and over-delivered. Now the real test lies in the next Five-Year Plan, which must go further: phasing out coal, accelerating renewables, and ensuring frontline communities benefit from the energy transition.”
Chuck Baclagon, 350.org Asia Finance Campaigner, said: “Typhoon Ragasa, now battering southern China after devastating the Philippines and Taiwan with winds peaking around 260 km/h, makes it painfully clear that climate change is no longer a prediction but a lived emergency. China’s new climate targets mark modest progress but still fall far short of true leadership. As the world’s largest emitter and a clean-tech superpower, Beijing must deliver rapid cuts at home – phasing out coal, scaling up renewables, and placing frontline communities at the heart of transition.
“What China does beyond its borders also matters: its overseas energy investments and infrastructure financing in Asia are the real tests. Ultimately, the strongest barometer of a country’s seriousness on climate action is its energy policy – how it chooses to invest, or divest, in fossil fuels now defines its legacy.”