BEIJING, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- As the world grapples with inconsistent climate policies, China is charting a different course.

"Accelerating the green transition across the board and building a Beautiful China" is among the major goals listed in the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee's recommendations for the formulation of the country's development plan for the next five years, which were made public on Tuesday.

The key recommendations document calls for efforts to work actively and prudently toward peaking carbon emissions, underscoring the steady pace of China's green transition, which stands in stark contrast to the wavering commitments seen elsewhere.

A recent essay in the New York Times said that "China is the adult in the room on climate," comparing the country's long-term strategy in implementing its climate actions against the situation in the West, where climate targets are often vulnerable to political cycles.

The recommendations, which outline priorities for the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), once again demonstrate to the world China's mature style of governance on the climate front, defined by systematic planning, stable goals and pragmatic action.

SYSTEMATIC TRANSITION

The year 2030 is both the deadline for China to meet its carbon-peak pledge and the final year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, indicating a coherent timeline for nationwide climate action.

Rather than treating the achievement of a carbon peak and carbon neutrality as a standalone task, the key document positions it as a guiding goal for a broader, systematic ecological transformation, analysts have observed.

"This synchronization creates a powerful planning framework," said Liu Feng, an economist at the Central University of Finance and Economics. "The carbon goal plays the core guiding role in the country's overall green transition."

China has already seen remarkable results in cutting emissions and accelerating green development, with its establishment of the world's largest renewable energy network and most complete renewables supply chain, Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu said, adding that the country has also achieved multiple 2030 nationally determined contribution climate targets ahead of schedule.

Still, Huang described China's carbon goals as "an extremely daunting task," noting that the country aims to achieve a transition from peak to neutrality in the shortest timeframe in global history while realizing the world's largest reduction in carbon intensity.

The CPC Central Committee's recommendations provide a roadmap to tackle this challenge over the next five years, proposing a "dual control" system targeting both the total volume and intensity of carbon emissions -- a shift from its earlier system, which was focused on merely curbing energy consumption.

Experts say this shift establishes clearer policy incentives for renewable energy development while managing fossil fuel use in a systematic strategy that advances emissions reduction and ensures energy security simultaneously.

"China's environmental policy is evolving from partial measures to integrated strategies, and from reactive responses to proactive planning," said Gao Shiji, a researcher at the Development Research Center of the State Council.

Looking ahead, China will launch special campaigns to boost energy conservation and carbon reduction in key sectors such as steel, petrochemicals and non-ferrous metals. The goal is to save more than 150 million tonnes of standard coal use to cut carbon dioxide emissions by roughly 400 million tonnes over the next five years, said Zheng Shanjie, head of the National Development and Reform Commission.

This systematic and forward-looking approach demonstrates exactly what it means to be a responsible climate actor -- the adult in the room who plans ahead rather than react impulsively.

The world's second-largest economy is charting a deliberate and steady course toward a greener future, noted Fred Teng, president of the America China Public Affairs Institute. "Even as some countries step back from their climate pledges or show wavering political will, the path forward must be defined by consistency and persistence," he said.

SUSTAINABLE GROWTH

Beyond strategic planning, what distinguishes the "adult in the room" is consistent follow-through on climate commitments, as well as their tangible implementation. China's approach has demonstrated these crucial qualities through its track record of turning blueprints into reality.

A common misperception behind fluctuating environmental policies elsewhere is that climate measures could hinder productivity rather than fuel economic growth.

"China's strategy shows that climate ambition can coexist with development needs," Teng said. "Through investments in renewable energy, electrified transport, market mechanisms and afforestation, China is reducing emissions while simultaneously generating growth, jobs and technological innovation."

The document unveiled on Tuesday outlines measures for the country to "move faster to develop a new type of energy system," steadily increase the share of new energy in its overall supply, advance the systematic transition from fossil fuels to safe, reliable alternatives, and build a new electric power system.

Liu said that the plan systematically embeds green industries into the heart of the real economy, making them an inherent part of industrial upgrading. "This reflects China's deepened understanding of green growth mechanics, refined through years of practical experience," he said.

Zheng revealed that China's low-carbon green industry is already worth approximately 11 trillion yuan (1.55 trillion U.S. dollars) and is projected to at least double in size within five years.

"We aim to establish about 100 national zero-carbon industrial parks in the next five years, which will generate substantial industrial opportunities," he said.

The country will also ramp up its development of non-fossil energy, promote the cleaner and more efficient use of fossil fuels, and accelerate the establishment of a new power system to enable the efficient generation and consumption of green electricity.

"By 2030, the vast majority of China's new electricity demand will be met by clean energy," Zheng said.

Gao noted that the next five years will be crucial for China's green and low-carbon transition, during which time both policy intensity and institutional innovation are expected to reach new heights.

"This period will not only be a decisive stage in advancing China's green transition but also a breakthrough phase for institutional innovation in ecological civilization. These developments will undoubtedly contribute Chinese wisdom and solutions to global sustainable development," he said.

China is turning its climate pledges into measurable action and demonstrable progress.

"By setting ambitious goals, grounding them in fairness, and inviting global cooperation, China has demonstrated that leadership is not measured by empty rhetoric but by vision paired with resolve," Teng said.