As if playing a poker hand, the State Council of China announced Thursday an aggressive carbon emissions reduction target to trump that announced by US President Barack Obama the day before.

In also confirming the attendance of Chinese Premier, Wen Jiaboa, at the UN Climate Conference, China announced it will bring to the discussion table a ‘carbon intensity’ reduction target of up to 45% on 2005 levels by 2020, i.e. emissions measured against its economic output.

Essentially what this means is that China’s emissions will actually continue to grow. However, the most rapidly expanding economy on the planet will lead the world with its concerted efforts to reign in its carbon emissions as it does. Read More

China’s State Council is reported to have said the targets would be reached through better research and development, clean coal technology, advanced nuclear energy and better transportation systems, along with legislation to encourage energy efficiency.

Achieving this ambitious target without compromising their economic growth will see China become a world leader in low-carbon economic development, setting a blueprint for other nations to keep global warming below critical thresholds.