Let's briefly review China's carbon emission targets.

China announced as early as November 2009 that it would cut 40 to 45 percent of its greenhouse gases per unit of GDP by the year 2020, compared with 2005 levels. That was the first time the Chinese government released specific numbers in terms of curbing carbon emissions. The State Council said then that that was a "voluntary action" and would be a "binding goal" to be incorporated into China's medium- and long-term development plans.

More than two years later, China's energy administration released the country's 12th five-year plan for developing renewable energy. It said that by 2015 China would generate 100 million kilowatts of electricity through wind power and 15 million kilowatts through solar power.

China's State Council said on New Year's Day in 2013 that the country would increase the proportion of its consumption of non-fossil fuels to more than 11 percent in 2015 from 8.6 percent in 2010.