It wasn't the exact number wanted by much of the world but China's pledge to control its greenhouse gases is a step in the right direction. The Chinese government won't say how much it would cut emissions by a certain date. It only said it would cut pollution in proportion to the overall size of its economy.
The announcement, before next month's United Nations climate change summit in Copenhagen, follows a similar announcement by the U.S. President Barack Obama. Now, the world's top two polluters are on record as being committed to reducing carbon emissions that most scientists say cause global emissions.
Mr. Obama, who plans to attend the conference, has pledged to reduce U.S. carbon dioxide emissions by about 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020, according to USA Today. Three other nations -- Brazil, South Korea and Russia -- have also made pledges in advance of the Copenhagen summit.
By cutting emissions as a percentage of economic growth, China could actually pollute more before it pollutes less. Its economy is expected to grow substantially by 2020. The target is to cut emissions as a percentage of economic output by 40 percent to 45 percent before 2020, compared to 2005 levels.
China could achieve its goal by closing more of its coal-fired energy plants. They now produce about 70 percent of their energy needs with coal and have pledged to ensure that non-fossil fuel power accounts for 15 percent of their energy consumption by 2020.
