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TIANJIN - China's carbon intensity reduction target represents "a serious new commitment" and "a valuable contribution" to the international efforts to combat climate change, the US-based environmental group National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) said on Oct 6.
It also dismissed accusations about the pledge's significance as a "mistake."
China pledged to cut its carbon intensity by 40-45 percent by 2020 from 2005 levels last year, but some observers continue to debate whether the goal is ambitious enough. Several Western commentators even concluded that China's target would require "no additional effort."
The NRDC, however, disagreed.
"Our view is China's carbon intensity target represents a concrete, new commitment. It's not easy to achieve it," Barbara Finamore, NRDC's China program director, told a news conference, while releasing a white paper that analyzed China's proposed target and the actions required to achieve it.
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If China fulfilled only the commitments that were in place before 2009, without extending its energy intensity policies beyond 2010, it would only reduce carbon intensity by 37 percent from its 2005 levels by 2020, the paper said.
As a result, jumping to conclusions that "no additional effort" was needed failed to "recognize the significance of China's actions" and to make such claims would be "to penalize China for taking early action," it said.
"Overall, China's commitment ... is a valuable contribution to the international effort to avert the worst threats of climate change."