Fighting Global Warming: China vows to further cut carbon emissions by 20% by 2030

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Reducing carbon emissions and cutting fossil fuel usage are two of the longest-standing goals of environmental improvement. Both remain atop China's climate agenda. And officials say hopeful progress has been made toward meeting the nation's emissions targets just over a decade from now. MARK FONTES has more.

China is more than halfway there. Three years ago, the nation set targets to cut up to 65 percent of carbon emissions from 2005's level by 2030.

China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment says that by the end of 2018, the country had already cut carbon emissions by nearly 46 percent from 2005's level. Experts are thus optimistic about reaching their future targets. The Ministry says China will push for global cooperation at the UN Climate Action summit next month.

LI GAO, DIRECTOR-GENERAL DEPARTMENT OF CLIMATE CHANGE, MINISTRY OF ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT "China will push for the world to provide support to developing countries to limit climate change, and build a global climate governance system that incorporates each country's conditions to better coordinate climate governance, poverty reduction, and economic development."

The ministry says China will also push for the implementation of the Paris Agreement at the summit.

LI GAO, DIRECTOR-GENERAL DEPARTMENT OF CLIMATE CHANGE, MINISTRY OF ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT "We will work with the other countries to solve outstanding problems from the Paris Agreement and provide political drives for the comprehensive and effective implementation of the agreement."

The ministry says they are also perfecting the protocol to cope with climate change to better respond to possible extreme weather conditions and will work with the global community in that arena. MF, CGTN.