Chinese President Hu Jintao on Tuesday announced four measures that China would adopt to further integrate action on climate change into its economic and social development plan.
First, China will intensify efforts to conserve energy and improve energy efficiency, and endeavour to cut carbon dioxide emissions per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) by a notable margin by 2020 from the 2005 level, said Mr. Hu at the U.N. Summit on Climate Change.
“Second, we will vigorously develop renewable energy and nuclear energy. We will endeavour to increase the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to around 15 per cent by 2020,” he added.
Third, China will energetically increase forest carbon sink and endeavour to increase forest coverage by 40 million hectares and forest stock volume by 1.3 billion cubic meters by 2020 from the 2005 levels, said Mr. Hu.
“Fourth, we will step up effort to develop green economy, low-carbon economy and circular economy, and enhance research, development and dissemination of climate-friendly technologies.”
Mr. Hu also called on the international community to tackle global climate change through common development.
“Global climate change has a profound impact on the existence and development of mankind and is a major challenge facing all countries,” he said.
Mr. Hu called on both developed and developing countries to take active steps to deal with climate change issues. He said that though not their outright responsibility, it served the long-term interests of developed countries to extend assistance through financing and technology transfer to developing countries in tackling climate change. “This, in effect, represents a joint investment in the future of mankind,” he stressed.
