UN: China has for the first time made specific emission cut pledges, though its goal of reducing planet-warming greenhouse gases just 7-10 percent by 2035 is seen as far too modest. But Beijing has often “under-promised and over-delivered,” analysts say, and its pledge offers a path toward more ambitious efforts to tackle climate change. Here’s what to know: Why it matters China is the world’s second-biggest economy and the largest polluter. It accounts for nearly 30 percent of global emissions.

It is China's first firm goal to reduce emissions but falls well short of what is needed to meet global targets.

China will cut emissions by 7-10 percent in the next 10 years, President Xi Jinping tells a UN climate summit.