An expert on climate change and a United Nations official have praised China’s climate efforts, highlighting the country’s leadership in clean energy and its strengthened national commitments.
China announced its 2035 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) on September 24, stating that it will reduce economy-wide net greenhouse gas emissions by 7 percent to 10 percent from peak levels by 2035.
Mahesh Pradhan, coordinator of the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia under the UN Environment Programme, said China’s newly announced 2035 climate commitments stand out for their ambition and impact.
"First and foremost, as you mentioned, the 2035 NDC (Nationally Determined Contributions) announced by China recently is really ambitious. And I think the global community will take stock of this, especially given that the last two rounds of the NDC -- 2015 and 2020. But here in terms of some of the targets, especially on the renewable side, I think it's quite laudable. Especially in terms of a decrease of emissions by seven to 10 percent of the peak levels, but also like one billion tonnes of carbon sort of reduced. At the same time, the non-fossil fuel energy mix going up to 30 percent, and wind and solar six times what is there in 2020. I think these are very commendable targets in the new 2035 NDC," he said.
Jonathan Bradley, executive board president of the European Center for Peace and Development of the United Nations University for Peace, highlighted China’s leadership in advancing alternative energy.
"What I would say is that China has been a leader, a very positive leader, in developing alternative energy sources, and in particular, wind power and solar power, major advances in solar power in China. And the rest of the world should be very grateful and acknowledge that," he said.
The 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) opened on Nov. 10 in Belem, Brazil, as world leaders and delegates confront rising global temperatures and push for urgent, coordinated climate action.
The conference also focuses on enhancing emissions reduction and climate resilience, while promoting an inclusive and equitable transition.
A key challenge for COP30 is closing the many gaps that persist in global climate action.
Bradley noted that these gaps are wide, pointing to the gulf between governments’ promises and the actual decline in emissions, a challenge that also reflects disparities in the resources available to wealthy and poorer countries and unequal capacities across regions within nations to respond to climate challenges.
He emphasized that bridging climate gaps depends on government leadership, technological solutions, private-sector engagement, and holding governments to the promises they make.
"One solution is the determination of governments to use technologies to try to bridge those gaps. Governments can't do everything. Businesses and private organizations also can have a major impact too. So they need to be given incentives and encouragements to be also involved. So raising private capital through lowering the cost of capital, for instance, or through other incentives, those will make a big difference. And also, governments need to take seriously the promises they make, and they need to be held to account, which is one reason why COP30 is happening -- to hold governments to account for what they've said," Bradley said.
Experts commend China’s climate contributions
China plays a vital role in the wave of artificial intelligence (AI) and the development of future industries, said government officials and business leaders attending the China Development Forum 2026 that opened in Beijing on Sunday.
Speaking at the Symposium on Technological Innovation and Future Industry Development, Minister of Industry and Information Technology Li Lecheng said China will accelerate the innovative development of industries of the future.
"Centering around key areas like artificial general intelligence, quantum sci-tech, and clean, low-carbon hydrogen, we have deployed over 100 innovative research projects of future industries, unveiled the list and appointed leaders for these projects. We will continue to leverage the principal role of enterprises, vigorously nurturing leading technology enterprises and high-tech enterprises that lead in core technologies and possess strong innovation capabilities to drive the industries to advance towards cutting-edge and high-end fields," Li said.
From quantum technology to 6G, China is sharing its sci-tech achievements with countries around the world, working together to promote the development of future industries.
Business leaders from across the world said China is leading the breakthrough in AI technologies and will be fertile ground for the growth of future industries.
"From new energy, electric vehicles and high-end manufacturing to breakthroughs in robotics and artificial intelligence, China is at the best moment to share the fruits of sci-tech development with the world. In 2025, downloads of open-source (AI) models from China led the world, allowing global developers to freely access, fine-tune, and deploy these powerful models, truly making smart technologies a public good for all humanity," said Joseph Tsai, Chairman of Alibaba Group.
"China's complete industrial ecosystem will be fertile ground for the growth of future industries. Take embodied AI robots for example, their development relies not only on breakthroughs in intelligent algorithms but also on supporting components like precision transmission and execution parts like reducers and servo motors. A rich diversity of innovation pathways, a complete industrial system, and robust industrial supporting capabilities will be the fertile ground for the development of future industries," said Lei Jun, founder and chairman of Xiaomi Group.
"Not only manufacturing. So it's AI plus in every space, in every sector, in every industry. For us, we are the company in the world that powers AI in supplying energy systems to AI factories across the world. And therefore for us, the challenge is to make sure that we go fast enough, strong enough to support all the computing that is used by Chinese companies or by Chinese stakeholders," said Jean-Pascal Tricoire, chairman of Schneider Electric.
"Brain-computer interfaces have been listed as one of the six major future industries in China's 15th Five-Year Plan period this year. We are now fully leveraging AI technologies to decode information within the brain, using this capability to better address many issues related to brain diseases. This enables people with disabilities who have lost hands or feet to control prosthetic limbs with their thoughts, allowing them to regain their normal daily life," said Han Bicheng, founder of BrainCo, a Chinese neurotech company.
The two-day China Development Forum 2026 is themed on "China in Its 15th Five-Year Plan Period: Advancing High-Quality Development and Creating New Opportunities Together."
China to accelerate innovative development of future industries: official
