China announced on Wednesday a major project package to combat climate change, targeting peak CO2 emissions before 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. The plan includes developing new offshore wind farms and accelerating the construction of "new energy bases" across its desert regions, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).
The NDRC report also mentioned a controversial hydropower facility on the Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet. Additionally, the report stated that coal will remain a key fuel, with increased production and supply planned for this year, alongside trials of low-carbon technology at coal-fired power plants.
China aims to cut energy use per unit of GDP by 3% by 2025. However, the NDRC indicated that the 3.4% reduction in carbon emissions per unit of economic growth last year did not meet expectations, attributing this to rapid energy consumption growth and extreme weather. China is unlikely to meet its five-year goal to reduce carbon intensity by 18% by the end of this year and has yet to announce an annual target for 2025.