China set a cautious new climate target for the rest of the decade, reports Bloomberg, which says the goal frustrates hopes for tighter policy that would accelerate the nation’s work to curb emissions.
A new goal pledges to cut carbon emissions per unit of GDP by 17% by 2030 and compares to a previous objective to deliver an 18% reduction in the five years through 2025—a target that recent data indicates China missed.
President Xi Jinping’s target to hit a peak before 2030 will be “accomplished as planned,” and a system of controlling the total amount of carbon emissions—in addition to intensity targets—will also be implemented, Premier Li Qiang said during the National People’s Congress.