China, the biggest greenhouse gas emitter, today said it has registered a 5 per cent drop in its carbon intensity after the world's second largest economy made further structural re-adjustment to improve growth quality.
Carbon intensity was cut by about 5 per cent in the first half of the year, the biggest drop in many years, said Premier Li Keqiang.
"In the first half of the year, the growth of investment and production of industries with high energy consumption and emissions noticeably slowed down," Li said addressing the Summer Davos forum, also known as the Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2014, being held in the port city of Tianjin.
He said the energy consumption per unit of the GDP also dropped 4.2 per cent year-on-year during the period.
Chinese officials say carbon emissions, which has become the country's worst health hazard in recent years as smog envelopes most of the cities, is showing signs of decline.
Early this year, Li had declared a war against smog and vowed to arrest its spread.
Through reforms and innovations, China has moved to reduce overcapacity and foster new growth areas, Li said and added that China has been promoting business reorganisations and mergers while redoubling efforts to conserve energy and cut emissions.
China has cut down on coal consumption, electricity and oil and eased pressures on transportation to achieve the same GDP growth, he said.
China and US topped the lists of biggest carbon emitters.
Tackling climate change is not only China's binding international obligation, but also a pressing need for the country's own development.
"There is no turning back in China's commitment to a sound eco-system. We have declared war on pollution and earnestly fulfilled international responsibilities," he said.
China is studying action targets on greenhouse gas emissions control, including the peak of CO2 emissions, carbon emission intensity reduction and an increase in the non-fossil energy by 2030, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Li said China is both resolved and capable in pursuing green, circular and low-carbon development.
China will keep focus on scientific and technological innovation, step up environmental management, and boost the development of energy conservation and environment protection sectors, he said. Meanwhile China will also work with other countries to tackle global climate change.
The Chinese government has pledged a 40-45 per cent cut in carbon dioxide intensity by 2020 from the levels in 2005.
CO2 emissions per unit of GDP had dropped 28.56 per cent by 2013 from the levels of 2005, or a reduction of 2.5 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions, according to the National Development and Reform Commission, the country's key economic planning body.
