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Ahead of COP 26, China Submits Update to NDC and Mid-Century Development Strategy

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28 October 2021- Today China submitted its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the Mid-Century, Long-Term Low Greenhouse Gas Emission Development Strategy (Mid-Century Strategy) to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The key targets provided in the updated NDCs and the Mid-Century Strategy are consistent with the provisions in two policy documents that China released in October 2021: the Working Guidance for Carbon Dioxide Peaking and Carbon Neutrality in Full and Faithful Implementation of the New Development Philosophy; and the Action Plan for Achieving Carbon Peaking Before 2030.

These targets are not new but are now officially incorporated into China’s NDCs and related strategies.  In the updated NDCs, China reaffirms its goal to increase the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to around 25% by 2030. In the Mid-Century Strategy, China reaffirms that it will further increase the percentage of non-fossil fuels to over 80% by 2060.

Additionally, it is noteworthy that China’s updated NDCs incorporate actions to address non-CO2 greenhouse gases (GHGs). These actions include the following:

  • China will improve its systems for monitoring, reporting, and evaluation of non-CO2 GHG emissions;
  • China will develop non-CO2 emissions control technologies and promote related pilot and demonstration projects;
  • China will continue to promote HFC-23 destruction and control emissions of HFCs;
  • China will research and formulate emissions reduction plans for nitrous oxide in key industries;
  • China will advance low-global warming potential (GWP) power facilities for sulfur hexafluoride emissions control; and
  • China will effectively reduce methane emissions from the energy sector, through controls on coal-production capacity, increases in extraction and utilization of coal-mine gas, reductions in emissions of volatile organic compounds in the petrochemical industry, and deployment of technologies for the recovery of associated gas.

The Mid-Century Strategy also lists policy actions for achieving substantial reductions in non-CO2 GHG emissions from industrial processes, as well as from the energy, agriculture, and waste sectors. Such actions include the following:

  • Strengthen the coordinated control of GHG emissions and emissions of air pollutants;
  • Gradually incorporate quantitative targets and management for non-CO2 emissions reduction; and
  • Actively implement the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, including to:
    • Strictly require harmless treatment and disposal of HFC-23 from HCFC-22 production;
    • Promote low-GWP alternatives during the phaseout of HCFCs;
    • Avoid leakage of controlled substances during production processes;
    • Promote the recovery, reuse, and harmless treatment of controlled substances; and
    • Prioritize HFC phasedown in industries with feasible alternative technologies.
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