Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged on Thursday to cut the country’s greenhouse gas emissions by between 7% and 10% from peak levels by 2035, according to Agence France-Presse.
The announcement came in a video address to the 2025 Climate Summit, where Xi reiterated China’s commitment to international climate diplomacy.
While the United States under President Donald Trump continues to defend fossil fuel extraction and the European Union struggles to agree on a unified strategy, Beijing signaled a clear shift toward a low-carbon future.
Xi stressed that environmental protection and carbon reduction are the defining trends of this era. Despite some nations resisting these shifts, he said, the international community must stay the course.
Until now, China had not committed to a short- or medium-term reduction target. Previously, Beijing set its sights on achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 and peaking emissions before 2030, a goal it appears close to meeting this year thanks to rapid growth in solar power and electric vehicle adoption.
Among its new 2035 commitments, China pledged to:
• Raise the share of non-fossil fuel sources in total energy consumption to over 30% (up from 12% in 2021, according to the International Energy Agency).
• Expand solar and wind power generation capacity sixfold from 2020 levels, reaching 3,600 gigawatts compared with around 1,400 GW today.
• Accelerate the production of electric vehicles.
• Expand forested areas to boost carbon absorption.
Xi noted that achieving these ambitions would require sustained domestic effort and an open, supportive international environment.
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