China Pledges First-Ever Emissions Cut by 2035, Joins Global Push for Stronger Climate Targets
Story: Written by Zara September 25,2025
China, the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter, has for the first time pledged an outright reduction in carbon emissions, vowing to cut levels by 7–10% from their peak by 2035. The announcement came Wednesday during a UN climate leaders’ summit convened by Secretary-General António Guterres.
President Xi Jinping, speaking via video link, said Beijing would expand renewable energy capacity dramatically, targeting a sixfold increase in wind and solar generation compared to 2020 levels. He added that the share of non-fossil fuels in China’s energy mix would exceed 30% by 2035.
“Green and low-carbon transformation is the trend of our times,” Xi said. “Despite some countries going against the trend, the international community should stay on the right track.”
Analysts welcomed the pledge as a historic first but described it as cautious and modest, noting China’s booming renewable sector and electric vehicle industry could enable deeper cuts.
U.S. Climate Policy in Contrast
Xi’s remarks included a veiled criticism of the United States, where President Donald Trump on Tuesday dismissed climate change as a “con job” in his address to the UN General Assembly. He confirmed Washington’s renewed withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, despite the U.S. being the world’s second-largest current emitter and largest historical polluter.
Global Commitments Ahead of COP30
China’s move comes as other major economies unveiled new pledges ahead of the COP30 climate summit in Brazil:
- Brazil: President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva committed to cutting emissions by up to 67% by 2035, with stronger anti-deforestation measures.
- European Union: Drafting a target to slash emissions by as much as 72% by 2035.
- Australia: Announced a planned reduction of 62–70% from 2005 levels by 2035.
Despite these advances, UN Secretary-General Guterres warned that ambition remains insufficient to limit warming to 1.5°C, the central goal of the Paris pact. “Now, we need new plans for 2035 that go much further, much faster,” he urged.
Pressure from Vulnerable Nations
Small island states, among the most exposed to climate risks, pressed for stronger accountability. Palau’s President Surangel Whipps cited a recent International Court of Justice opinion affirming nations’ legal duty to act, urging major economies to scale up ambition:
“Those with the greatest responsibility and the greatest capacity to act must do far more.”
The Road Ahead
The world has already warmed by 1.2°C above pre-industrial levels, and scientists warn that current pledges still fall short of what is needed to avert severe climate disruption. While China’s new target signals progress, experts caution that global cooperation, accountability, and accelerated action are critical if the world is to meet its mid-century climate goals.
