1st LD: China unveils new, ambitious climate goals

China on Tuesday made fresh pledges on fighting climate change, setting out ambitious targets beyond 2020 in what it calls its "utmost efforts" in tackling the global challenge.

The world's largest emitter aims to cut carbon dioxide emissions per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) by 60 percent to 65 percent from the 2005 level by 2030, according to China's intended nationally determined contributions (INDC), a document submitted to the Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

That goal will be a big step further from China's previous emission control target, which eyes a decrease of 40 percent to 45 percent from the 2015 level by 2020.

In 2014, carbon emissions per unit of GDP was 33.8 percent lower than the 2005 level.

The world's second largest economy intends to achieve the peaking of carbon dioxide emissions around 2030 and will make best efforts to peak early, according to China's INDC.

The enhanced actions "represent its (China's) utmost efforts in addressing climate change," the INDC said.

Acting on climate change is driven by China's domestic needs to ensure economic and ecological security, as well as by its sense of responsibility to fully engage in global governance, according to the document.

China's move came ahead of a key UN climate conference in Paris late this year, when the United Nations hopes the international community will reach a new, universally binding climate pact. All parties should submit their INDCs before the meeting.

Apart from the emission target, China also lays out plans to expand the share of non-fossil fuels in its primary energy consumption to around 20 percent by 2030 from the 11.2-percent ratio in 2014, and increase the forest stock volume by 4.5 billion cubic meters from the 2005 level.

As a developing country with a population of more than 1.3 billion, China is among those countries that are most severely affected by the adverse impacts of climate change, the document said. Endi