Understanding China's 'dual carbon' goals

In 2022, record-breaking heatwaves swept across the Northern Hemisphere. The climate crisis is sounding a code red alarm for humanity.

The ongoing energy crisis in Europe has led to the reopening of coal power plants in countries pioneering the world’s transition to net-zero carbon emissions.

Despite carbon-cutting pledges from governments at the UN COP26 summit in 2021, Climate Action Tracker estimates the world is still on track for disastrous heating of more than 2.4C by the end of this century, far in excess of the target of 1.5C.

Some Western countries are shifting the blame to developing countries, especially China, for not being in step with Western countries' targets.

However, since China proposed to achieve carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060 in 2020, the country has implemented a series of measures to develop renewable energy and stayed committed to achieving its "dual carbon" goals, even amid recent setbacks from other nations in global carbon reduction efforts.

China's economic rise over the past decades was largely powered by coal. However, the country, now among the world's biggest investors in green energy, is integrating carbon goals into the big picture of environmental protection and economic and social development.

Amid the ongoing 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the People’s Daily has launched a series of videos to help everyone better understand China. This video shows the realization path of China’s dual carbon goals from two aspects: carbon reduction and green growth.

Click on the video to better understand China’s dual carbon goals.

(Produced by Ni Tao, Zhu Yurou, He Jieqiong, Liang Peiyu, Zhang Jian, Qiao Wai; Interns Yang Luxin, Peng Shuangqi, Sun Shulang and Feng Chi contributed to the scripts translation.)