Emissions goal mulled for first time

China should aim to reduce its carbon intensity by 4 or 5 percent year-on-year if it is to achieve its goal of low-carbon development by 2050, says a leading environmental think tank.

If the annual target is met, carbon emissions per unit of economic output will fall by between 85 and 90 percent by the middle of the century, compared to the 2005 baseline, said the China Council of International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED). The organization comprises 200 world experts who regularly offer policy suggestions to the Chinese central government.

It was the first time such a high-level organization had put forward a concrete proposal for emissions reduction since President Hu Jintao committed to making a "notable cut" at the UN climate change summit in September.