Gore believes China will ‘overachieve’ on emissions goal

Former Vice President Al Gore on Thursday said China will “overachieve” in its pledge to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2060, after Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated the country’s commitment during the White House climate summit.

China, in September 2020, announced that it would seek to reach carbon neutrality by 2060. Xi doubled down on that goal at the White House’s virtual climate summit, where a number of world leaders came together to discuss climate change.

China has “a history of planning their work and then working their plan. They put out goals only when they are absolutely certain they can reach them, and they often overachieve,” Gore said in an interview with Washington Post Live.

“I think they will overachieve that goal,” he continued.

Xi also announced on Thursday that China will begin to reduce its coal use starting in 2060 and “strictly limit” its increase in coal use until then.

Gore commended Xi for the plan, but said “the language needs specificity,” adding that they will see “a lot of follow up.”

Gore did, however, note that China did not announce any new, more ambitious pledges, which set the country apart from others who attended the summit.

Gore, a prominent environmental activist, told the Post that the summit was “heartening and important,” adding that “we are seeing the whole world crossing the political tipping point on climate right now, right this second.”

The former vice president also applauded President Biden’s approach towards the climate crisis, adding that he has made the “strongest start in these first 100 days of any president” since President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

He continued, saying they are “hitting on all cylinders, they’ve appointed an A plus team, they are really hitting it out of the park every single week.”