The Chinese government has approved a plan to reduce carbon emissions and take other steps to fight climate change, state news service Xinhua reported today.

Outlining goals to be accomplished by 2020, the plan was proposed by the National Development and Reform Commission and approved today by the State Council.

China has been working to reduce its carbon emissions per unit of GDP by 40 to 45 percent by 2020, compared with the 2005 carbon emissions intensity level, Xinhua reported. This emission target was first announced in 2009, according to the AFP.

Additionally, non-fossil fuels will rise to around 15 percent of the country's main energy consumption, China has pledged.

The announcement comes right before a climate summit planned for Tuesday at the United Nations headquarters in New York City.

World leaders also plan to meet in Paris next year at a highly anticipated UN summit to discuss a pact that would instate emission caps in all countries to curb greenhouse gases, the AFP reported.

So far, emission pledges from developed countries constitute only 30 percent of the global total, Xie Zhenhua, who leads China's negotiations at UN climate summits, recently told reporters in Beijing.

Xie is pushing for wealthy countries to take the lead when it comes to reducing carbon emissions.

"Different countries should take on responsibilities and obligations commensurate with their historical liabilities, development phase, national situation and capabilities," said Xie, who also serves as vice chairman of China's National Development and Reform Commission, as quoted by the AFP.

In a press conference today, Xie said that China has been working mainly in three areas to mitigate climate change: "energy conservation and improving efficiency of energy use, developing renewable energy and increasing forest carbon sinks," Xinhua reported.

China, which is considered still a developing country by Xie and other officials, is the world's biggest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.

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