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Prudence or backsliding? China’s new climate target mirrors shifting realities
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A screen showing Chinese Premier Li Qiang delivering a work report during the opening session of the National People’s Congress in Beijing on March 5.
PHOTO: AFP
BEIJING – With plans to expand renewable energy bases in its vast desert regions and build new offshore wind farms that can power more than 30 million homes, China has doubled down on its clean energy drive in its latest climate action plan.
But the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has threatened global oil and gas supplies, is a stark reminder of the mounting challenges at home and abroad that could have led Beijing to hold back on tightening emissions curbs, say analysts.
