China aims to cut its net carbon-dioxide emissions to zero by 2060

IN A RECORDED video message to the UN General Assembly on September 22nd, China’s leader, Xi Jinping, made a surprise announcement. He said that as well as aiming to halt the rise of its carbon emissions by 2030—much the same goal as five years ago—China would strive for “carbon neutrality” by 2060. In climate-change jargon, this means achieving a balance between carbon emissions and carbon reduction both technological and natural, such as planting trees. For China to succeed, it must descend from its emissions peak far more rapidly than any other major economy has either succeeded in doing, or has pledged to do. It will be a huge challenge.

Under the Paris agreement on climate change, reached in 2015, signatories were required to submit fresh plans for reducing their emissions by the end of this year. Covid-19 has put a spanner in the works. On September 2nd Patricia Espinosa, the UN’s chief climate-change official, said she expected about 80 countries to meet the deadline. Before Mr Xi’s speech, many analysts had predicted that China would not show its hand until after America’s elections in November, when American climate-change policy for the next four years will become clearer. Stung by international criticism of its early handling of the pandemic, China may have decided to reveal its hand earlier to boost its image.