Beijing’s declaration that the country aims ‘to reduce its carbon intensity by 40 to 45 percent by 2020’ does not mean that ‘China’s overall emissions will drop, it just means that CO2 emissions per unit of GDP will decline. Because China’s economy is growing at such a torrid pace, overall emissions will keep ticking upward—it’s just that the rate of growth will slow.’

This announcement is not new. The country has been ‘floating this figure for a couple of years now, and it’s basically a business-as-usual course. Ideally, China would strengthen its carbon-intensity goals to 50 percent or more (which, according to many analyses, is perfectly doable). After all, for the world to have a fighting chance at preventing a 2°C temperature rise, China’s absolute emissions will likely need to peak by 2020 or 2025. Yet at its current pace, the country is growing so fast that its emissions are set to double in the next two decades—even as it becomes more efficient, harnesses more renewable power, etc.’

However, China has, indeed, ‘made some very positive clean-energy moves in the past few years, but its current course probably isn’t sufficient for averting drastic climate change. (Then again, from what climate science suggests, no country in the world is really doing enough at the moment…).’

Even if China’s recent announcement of its CO2 reduction pledge has to be taken with a grain of salt, it is still a positive effort coming from the world’s number one carbon dioxide emitter, especially if seen in the light of China’s unwillingness five years ago to do anything about its emissions. China is, in fact, one of the countries that have made concrete efforts toward clean and renewable energy, as well as energy efficiency.

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Via The New Republic