"This is a voluntary action taken by the Chinese government based on its own national conditions and is a major contribution to the global effort in tackling climate change," the official Xinhua agency quoted the State Council, China's cabinet, as saying.
The target was in line with what experts expected as it takes 2005 levels as its basis and not 1990, the benchmark used in UN treaties.
Yesterday (25 November), the White House said the United States would pledge at December's UN talks in Copenhagen to cut its greenhouse gas emissions roughly 17% below 2005 levels by 2020, a drop of about 3% below 1990 levels.
Meanwhile, both the US and Chinese leaders have said they will be going to Copenhagen. However, US President Barack Obama is expected to attend the talks during their first week, before the high-level part of the conference.
"We really need a target and financial commitment, the earlier the better. If Obama comes in the first week to announce that, it would be a major boost to the conference," said UN climate chief Yvo de Boer.
Although the moves by China and the US seem to remove some of the obstacles towards a global deal in Denmark next month, the targets do not appear to be overly ambitious.
According to reports, Beijing is almost halfway to meeting the carbon intensity goal already, after five years of an energy-efficiency drive that has helped rein in emissions growth. Meanwhile, Washington's target of 3% below 1990 levels is less than demanded by the European Union, Japan and UN scientists, but nevertheless represent the first numbers to be on the table by the world's largest economy.
"We would need to see the number black on white. But it if it is the figure, then it is in line with the range the Senate is considering and it can therefore help pave the way for a successful outcome at Copenhagen," said de Boer.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on yesterday welcomed Obama's decision to travel to global climate talks next month, but refused to comment on the US emissions targets. "I welcome that President Obama has commited to come to Copenhagen," Barroso is quoted by a Commission spokeswoman as saying, according to AFP. But he refused to comment on the figures.
MEP Karl-Heinz Florenz, European People's Party group spokesman on the issue, said "China, the USA, India, Brazil and even the less-developed regions must change and adapt if we are to halt global warming".
"Every individual will have to change and adapt. No-one can avoid change if we are to meet our targets. We should not stop fighting for this - the latest signals look promising," he added.
