China will strive to meet target date for carbon dioxide reductions ahead of time, premier says

China will try to meet its target for carbon dioxide emissions to peak around 2030 as early as possible, Premier Li Keqiang said on Friday.

It will also strengthen efforts to cut carbon dioxide emissions per unit of gross domestic product "by a large margin", the premier said.

Li, who heads China's leading work team on combating climate change, made the remarks at a meeting of the team in Beijing to discuss China's "intended nationally determined contributions" for addressing the global issue.

China will also raise its share of non-fossil fuel use and increase forestry stocks, he said.

Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, all countries have been invited to submit such contributions, setting out their plans to combat global warming before the end of talks in Paris in December.

Su Wei, China's chief climate negotiator, said on Thursday that Beijing is seeking to officially submit its INDC by the end of this month.

The premier said that last year China's energy consumption per unit of GDP and its carbon dioxide emissions dropped by 29.9 percent and 33.8 percent, compared with figures for 2005.

"We have become the world's top country in terms of energy saving and utilization of new energy and renewable energy, thus making a tangible contribution to the world's efforts in handling climate change," Li said.

He said China expects to join hands with all those concerned to push for a "comprehensive, balanced and strong agreement" at the Paris talks.

China, as a responsible country, will take on international responsibilities that are commensurate with its national conditions, stage of development and "actual capabilities", he added.

China and the United States reached an ambitious agreement on emissions reduction targets in November. China set a target for its carbon dioxide emissions to peak by 2030 and to increase the proportion of non-fossil fuels used in primary energy consumption to about 20 percent by that year.

Huang Shengchu, director-general of the China Coal Strategic Research Center, said, "Based on my research, I'm confident that China can meet the goal for its carbon dioxide emissions to peak around 2030 at an early date."

The country's demand for coal, which used to be relatively strong, has dropped, Huang said. This was consistent with the premier's conclusion that China had advanced in its use of new energy, he added.

lixiaokun@chinadaily.com.cn