Ten years after nearly 200 nations reached the Paris Agreement to address the impact of climate change, the international community is now at a critical juncture.

The landmark agreement aims to keep the rise in global average temperature well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and, if possible, below 1.5 degrees Celsius. It requires each party to prepare national action plans known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) every five years. By September 30, only about a third had submitted their new NDCs.

Chinese President Xi Jinping announced China's new round of NDCs in a video address at the UN Climate Summit on September 24. These cover economy-wide net greenhouse gas emissions for the first time, indicating that China's climate governance has moved beyond carbon emission control and shifted to the broader field of sustainable development. This shift injects impetus into global climate governance and demonstrates China's stance as a major country that champions integrity on climate action.

China is currently a major emitter of greenhouse gases, but it is also a key contributor to the global response to climate change. China adheres to its responsibilities and obligations under the Paris Agreement. It is also committed to strengthening cooperation with the international community, providing financial, technological and capacity-building support to other developing countries through South-South cooperation.

On September 22, 2020, at the General Debate of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, President Xi said China would strive to reach peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060. Over the past five years, the country has achieved historic results in advancing the green and low-carbon transition through painstaking efforts.

China has established the most comprehensive carbon reduction policy framework in the world, built the largest and fastest-growing renewable energy system and the largest and most complete new-energy industrial chain, and achieved the world's largest and fastest adoption of new-energy vehicles. It has contributed about one fourth of the newly added green areas worldwide, and ranks among the countries with the fastest decline in energy consumption intensity. China has blazed a viable trail for developing countries to pursue green and low-carbon development, thereby making a significant contribution to global climate action and the sustainable development of humanity.