Xi: China to cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 10% by 2035

STORY: :: September 24, 2025

:: Beijing, China

:: China pledges cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, an unprecedented move for the nation

:: Xi Jinping, Chinese President

“China will, by 2035, reduce economy-wide net greenhouse gas emissions by 7% to 10% from peak levels, striving to do better, increase the share of non-fossil fuels in total energy consumption to over 30%.”

:: United Nations

“Green and low carbon transition is the trend of our time. While some countries are acting against it, the international community should stay focused on the right direction, remain unwavering in confidence, unremitting in actions and unrelenting in intensity and push for formulation and delivery on NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) with a view to providing more positive energy to the cooperation on global climate governance.”

:: Beijing’s vow contrasts with the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris climate pact

Xi addressed a climate leaders’ summit hosted by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a live video message from Beijing, announcing China’s national climate plan, which was expected to be announced before the COP30 climate summit in Brazil in November.

Alongside the emission-reduction goal, Xi said China plans to increase its installed capacity of wind and solar power to over six times their 2020 levels in 10 years and its share of non-fossil fuels in domestic energy consumption to over 30% by 2035.

At the same time, he called on the world’s developed countries to take the lead in stronger emissions reductions and climate actions. He referred, though not by name, to the U.S. for moving away from the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate.

The summit comes a day after U.S. President Donald Trump used his UN General Assembly speech to blast climate change as a “con job” and criticize countries like EU member states and China for embracing renewable energy technologies.

U.S. President Donald Trump is withdrawing Washington from the 10-year-old Paris Agreement on climate, which aimed to prevent global temperatures from rising beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius through national climate plans.

The U.S. is the world’s biggest historical greenhouse gas emitter and second biggest current emitter behind China.