China Targets 3,600 Gigawatts of Wind and Solar by 2035 in Xi’s New Climate Pledge at UN Summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping revealed China's new climate goals for 2035 during the UN Climate Summit in New York. His short video address outlined several concrete targets as countries prepare for the COP30 climate conference later this year.

"Green and low-carbon transition is the trend of our time," Xi told world leaders. This year marks ten years since the Paris Agreement, making it an important moment for countries to submit updated climate pledges.

Xi's new targets include cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 7-10% from peak levels by 2035. China will also boost non-fossil fuels to over 30% of its energy mix and expand wind and solar power capacity to 3,600 gigawatts – six times higher than 2020 levels.

The renewable energy goal stands out as particularly ambitious. China has already reached about 1,400 gigawatts of wind and solar capacity, surpassing its previous 2030 target years ahead of schedule. According to China's National Energy Administration, the country installed 277 gigawatts of solar and 80 gigawatts of wind capacity in 2024 alone.

Other targets include growing forest stock to over 24 billion cubic meters, making new energy vehicles the mainstream in new car sales, expanding the carbon trading market to cover major high-emission sectors, and building a climate-adaptive society.

Xi stressed that fairness must guide the global climate effort. "The transition should serve to narrow rather than widen the north-south gap," he said. He called for wealthy nations to lead on emission cuts while providing money and technology to developing countries.

"Countries need to honor the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities," Xi added. This view has been central to China's climate position – that development stages should determine how much each nation contributes.

Xi also pushed for more teamwork on green technology to ensure "the benefits of green development can reach all corners of the world."

Meeting these targets won't be easy. Xi admitted they require "both painstaking efforts by China itself and a supportive and open international environment." As the world's largest carbon emitter currently, China faces a major task in transforming its energy system while continuing economic growth.

China has become central to global clean energy production. Chinese factories produce approximately 80% of global solar panels, about 60% of wind turbines, and roughly 75% of electric vehicles – exact percentages depend on the metric used.

This manufacturing strength gives China both opportunity and responsibility in the green transition.

The Climate Action Tracker, which rates countries' climate pledges, has labeled China's existing targets as "highly insufficient" for meeting Paris Agreement goals. This new announcement could affect CAT's assessment, but evaluators say they must model the full implications — early analysis suggests the new targets alone may be insufficient.

UN climate officials have repeatedly said that current global climate pledges fall short of preventing dangerous warming levels. The UN Secretary-General has urged countries to submit more ambitious targets before COP30.

China described these new goals as its "best efforts based on the requirements of the Paris Agreement." Xi ended his speech by calling for concrete actions: "Let's all step up our actions to realize the beautiful vision of harmony between man and nature and preserve planet Earth, the place we call home."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also spoke in New York, and the European Commission has proposed a 2040 net-GHG target of ~90% as part of the EU's pathway to climate neutrality by 2050.