Although the latest national climate targets to be released by the US, China, Brazil and South Korea were widely welcomed, many analysts said it was clear countries would need to do a lot more to prevent risky levels of global warming.
China’s pledge, for example, must be seen as a starting point for much more ambitious actions because it does not fully reflect the significant energy transition already taking place, said Li Shuo, climate analyst for Greenpeace China.
“Given the dramatic fall in coal consumption, robust renewable energy uptake, and the urgent need to address air pollution, we believe the country can go well beyond what it has proposed today,” said Mr Li.