Still, it would be a bold statement to say that China’s 2060 targets are a pipe dream. The oft-cited claim that Chinese leaders only set targets they can meet is specious. Nonetheless, the political prominence given to the 2060 target suggests that China has every intention of at least being perceived to succeed.

China’s ultimate solution may be to reach for invention and carbon sequestration. To achieve both necessary levels of growth and net zero goals, potentially problematic solutions like carbon capture, utilization, and storage, and carbon sinks – which do not reduce the root cause of carbon dioxide emissions – may have to be given elevated prominence. Although China is not alone in facing this dilemma, its ultimate decisions will be of unparalleled consequence for the planet.

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