UN chief welcomes China's submission of climate change goals

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Tuesday welcomed China's submission of its climate change targets, hailing it as an important contribution to building momentum for reaching a meaningful climate change agreement in Paris later this year.

The climate change goals, or the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC), are countries' action plans submitted to the Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in a bid to create a new international climate agreement at the end of the year in Paris.

According to China's INDC, it aims to cut carbon dioxide emissions per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) by 60 percent to 65 percent from the 2005 level by 2030. Also, China intends to achieve the peaking of carbon dioxide emissions around 2030 and will make best efforts to peak early.

Noting that the INDCs offer a floor, and not a ceiling for ambition, the Secretary-General also encouraged other countries to accelerate the preparation and submission of their INDCS, according to UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq.

"A key step to reaching a universal and meaningful climate agreement in Paris is the timely submission of INDCs by all countries well in advance of Paris," said Haq at a daily briefing held here Tuesday.

According to Haq, the Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change has so far received documents regarding post-2020 climate change targets from more than 40 countries that together represent over 60 percent of global emissions.