“It’s not the end of the story,” Peters said of the Nature study. “This should make people reflect on how emissions statistics are calculated.”
Ranping Song, who is leading the China Climate Program at the World Resources Institute, said the study highlights the need for China to strengthen its emissions data but said the government is already making efforts.
Meanwhile, he said, it’s unlikely that China will revise its Paris targets or even its negotiating tactics in light of the new numbers.
“China doesn’t see its emission action for the sake of the global environment. This is actually part of their own agenda. Those things do not go away,” Song said. “It doesn’t change their high-level commitment that doing climate-friendly development will be good for the environment and good for the economy, as well.”