China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs sharply criticized the European Union, accusing it of applying “double standards and selective blindness” in dealing with climate issues. This came after EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra described China’s latest climate pledges as “clearly disappointing.”
Earlier this week, China announced plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 7–10% by 2035 and to expand its wind and solar energy capacity to 3,600 gigawatts, up from about 1,400 gigawatts today. President Xi Jinping stressed that China will not backtrack on its climate efforts, nor will it slow down its support for international cooperation.
Hoekstra, however, argued that these targets are “far below what is necessary,” while Beijing countered that some officials ignore statements downplaying climate change—such as U.S. President Donald Trump’s description of it as a “hoax”—yet attack China’s “responsible and proactive measures.” The Chinese foreign ministry added that such rhetoric undermines global solidarity and hampers cooperation against the crisis.
This exchange comes at a time when the EU has yet to release its updated climate plan, missing its February deadline, though it has agreed to cut emissions by 66.25–72.5% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels.
Meanwhile, the United States—the world’s second-largest current emitter after China, and the largest historical emitter—has withdrawn from the Paris Climate Agreement for the second time following Trump’s return to office.
China urged the EU to stop “talking loudly but acting little,” insisting it has shown “the strongest resolve, most robust actions, and most effective implementation” of its commitments. While Beijing’s latest pledges mark its first direct promise to reduce emissions, experts argue that the 7–10% cut falls far short of the roughly 30% reduction needed by 2035 to align with the global goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C.
By contrast, the European Commission reported that EU emissions dropped by 8.3% in 2023 compared to the previous year, and by 37% compared to 1990, while the bloc’s GDP grew by 68% over the same period.
