10.China's new NDC targets 2035: net GHG emissions to drop 7-10% below peak

China has announced its latest Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), outlining key climate targets for 2035. The country commits to reducing net GHG emissions across the entire economy by 7% to 10% below peak levels, with aspirations to exceed this goal. Non-fossil energy sources will constitute over 30% of total energy consumption, while combined wind and solar power capacity will expand to six times the 2020 level, targeting 3.6 TWh. Additional objectives include increasing forest stock to more than 24 billion cubic meters, establishing new energy vehicles as the mainstream in auto sales, extending the national carbon market to cover all major high-emission industries, and essentially building a climate-resilient society.锛圶inhua News)

09. China's national carbon market hits record high turnover in 2024

According to the Progress Report of China鈥檚 National Carbon Market 2025 released by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment on September 24, the turnover of carbon emission allowances reached RMB 18.114 billion in 2024, setting a new annual record since the market's launch in 2021. By the end of August 2025, the cumulative trading allowances reached 696 million tons, with a total turnover of RMB 47.826 billion. The ministry is accelerating the quota allocation plan for the steel, cement, and aluminum smelting industries, with a list of 1,334 key emitting enterprises already published. Monthly digital certification of carbon emission data has also been fully launched. Additionally, the Civil Aviation Administration of China is formulating guidelines for carbon accounting and verification in the aviation sector and developing a plan for its participation in the national carbon market. (Ministry of Ecology and Environment )

08. Global biodiversity financing gap expands to $942 billion

The report Financing Nature 2025 released by the Paulson Institute on September 24 highlights that the global biodiversity financing gap has increased from $711 billion per year in 2020 to $942 billion. Climate and biodiversity issues are often addressed in isolation, with many climate solutions inadvertently harming nature. A lack of leadership and coordination between the two agendas has further exacerbated the crisis. Despite the significant funding gap, substantial progress is possible through well-designed policies and innovative financing mechanisms. Reforming harmful subsidies in agriculture, fisheries, and forestry could fill approximately half of the gap. Scaling up proven projects and policies implemented by non-governmental organizations, local governments, and the private sector could also deliver considerable impact. (Paulson Institute)

07 China's progress on SDGs shows significant results

As of 2024, China has made notable strides in implementing the SDGs, with 141 out of 233 indicators (60.5%) nearing or achieving the 2030 targets. Breakthroughs have been achieved across key sectors: agricultural labor productivity surged from RMB 36,400 per person in 2015 to RMB 103,600, while national water consumption achieved zero growth, reducing overall water stress from 73.3% to 61.7%. Additionally, green space coverage in 34 provincial capital cities increased by 14.2%. The report calls for enhanced global collaboration in data infrastructure, stronger linkages between indicator monitoring and policy simulation, and improved cross-target governance in critical areas such as climate change, energy transition, and ecological protection.(Guangming Daily)

06 World's largest coal-fired power CCUS demonstration project begins operation

On September 25, the world's largest coal-fired power carbon capture demonstration project was successfully commissioned at Huaneng Gansu Zhengning Power Plant after completing a 72-hour trial. This marks a historic leap in China's CCUS (carbon capture, utilization, and storage) technology, scaling from "10,000-ton demonstrations" to "million-ton industrial applications." As a key national technological demonstration project, the system captures CO鈧?from the plant's desulfurized flue gas with a purity exceeding 99%, offering a "Chinese solution" for the global transition toward greener coal power.

05 County-Level High School Revitalization Plan released

On September 26, six departments including the Ministry of Education jointly issued the County-Level High School Revitalization Action Plan, outlining goals to be achieved by 2030. The plan aims to optimize the distribution of high schools, enhance educational governance, and narrow development gaps between urban and rural institutions. It emphasizes improving resource allocation in response to shifting student demographics and fostering diverse, high-quality education to meet public demand for accessible and well-rounded secondary education. (China Education Network)

04. Green building materials revenue to exceed RMB 300 billion by 2026

Six ministries, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, have jointly issued the Steady Growth Work Plan for the Building Materials Industry (2025-2026). The plan sets a target for green building materials revenue to surpass RMB 300 billion by 2026. Key objectives for 2025-2026 include industry recovery, improved profitability, enhanced technological innovation, and the continued expansion of green building materials and advanced inorganic non-metallic materials. The plan also emphasizes significant progress in green, low-carbon, and digital development, aiming to elevate the industry's overall competitiveness and sustainability.(Xinhuanet)

03. "Arts Empowering Rural Vitalization" Work Plan (2025-2027) released

Seven departments, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, have jointly issued the "Arts Empowering Rural Vitalization Work Plan (2025-2027)." The plan outlines 10 key tasks to leverage the arts in promoting comprehensive rural vitalization, enriching rural culture, and building livable and harmonious villages. It also focuses on empowering rural industrial development through initiatives such as enhancing rural tourism with artistic elements, developing new tourism formats, and fostering integrated agricultural, cultural, and tourism projects to elevate the cultural quality of rural tourism.(People鈥檚 Daily)

02 World Congress of Biosphere Reserves held for the first time in China

From September 22鈥?5, the 5th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves opened in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. This marks the first time the event has been held in China and the wider Asia-Pacific region. In 1971, UNESCO launched the "Man and the Biosphere Programme" (MAB), aiming to balance biodiversity conservation with improving human livelihoods through interdisciplinary research and cross-sector cooperation. The congress adopted the Hangzhou Strategic Action Plan for UNESCO鈥檚 Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme and its World Network of Biosphere Reserves (2026鈥?035) and issued the Hangzhou Declaration, setting a development blueprint for the next decade and offering a "Chinese approach" to global ecological governance. (Xinhuanet)

01 China supports the establishment of a UNDP Global Center for Sustainable Development in Shanghai

On September 25, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met with UN Under-Secretary-General and UNDP Acting Administrator Xu Haoliang in New York. China supports establishing a UNDP Global Center for Sustainable Development in Shanghai. It will share China鈥檚 experience in green and digital development and trade, addressing Global South countries鈥?urgent needs for green and digital transformation. This initiative aims to better assist developing countries in accelerating the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.(MOFCOM)