China Net zero by 2060

In a jaw-dropping announcement, Chinese President Xi Jinping said his government plans to boost China’s Paris climate accord target and called for a green revolution, just minutes after US President Donald Trump blasted Beijing for “rampant pollution”. Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Xi reiterated China’s goal of achieving a peak in carbon dioxide emissions before 2030. He then announced that his country would effectively balance out its carbon emissions with measures to offset them before 2060, the first time the world’s biggest emitter of carbon dioxide has pledged to end its net contribution to climate change. “China will scale up its intended nationally determined contributions [to the Paris agreement] by adopting more vigorous policies and measures,” Xi said, urging all countries to pursue a “green recovery of the world economy in the post-COVID era.” Xi used the lectern to call for multilateral action on climate change after Trump called the Paris climate agreement – with nearly 200 signatories – a one-sided deal and criticised China for being the world’s largest source of carbon emissions.