There was already a goal to meet 15 percent of China's power needs from renewable sources by 2020, which has been updated to 20 percent by 2030 in the joint announcement. And just under one-third of all global renewable energy investment went to China in 2014.

Today, wind energy is powering more than 110 million homes－from nearly zero a decade back. And as home to 75 percent of the world's solar manufacturing, the country also has an important stake in the booming solar industry.

Meanwhile, the government has put in place carbon trading pilots spanning seven cities and provinces (Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Guangdong and Hubei) since 2011.

Elements for a national carbon market plan have been gradually introduced over the past year. The anticipation is that carbon trading will increasingly play an important role in incentivizing cleaner infrastructural choices and in controlling emissions.

Choices made in China matter, especially when it comes to the world's ability to tackle global challenges like climate change and resource security.

The good news is that Chinese leaders appear to be embracing a vision for China's future that is not only about economics but also intertwined with stronger environmental outcomes.

The 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020), is a great opportunity for China to clarify and reinforce its plan for a sustainable future, one that neither China nor the rest of the world can afford to miss.