The Chinese Puzzle

Figures (one can argue about numbers but they are broadly right) for the percentage annual contributions of countries to atmospheric carbon dioxide are widely available (https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/092915/5-countries-produce-most-carbon-dioxide-co2.asp). Carbon dioxide is the most important 'greenhouse gas' (we mustn't, however, forget methane). It is the major cause of global heating, leading to climate change. Substantial climate change, we know, will devastate most of the organisms on the planet (some bacteria might thrive). China currently generates around 28% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions. It is, by far, the biggest producer (the US have 15%, India 7%, Russia 5% and Japan 3%). China emits more than 10 billion metric tons of this 'greenhouse gas' each year. China now produces half of the world's steel. Every ton of steel, generates 2 tons of carbon dioxide. It is also the biggest user of coal (the dirtiest of the hydrocarbon fuels), for its electricity generation. China is also a major producer of cement, a process that also releases substantial amounts of carbon dioxide. At the Earth Day zoom meeting, China's President argued that countries where industrialisation had occurred earlier, should be the ones making the biggest emissions cuts. In one sense, there is a kind of logic to this position but it's not viable. China is such a big carbon dioxide producer, it must make substantial cuts to bring about meaningful change. Reluctance on China's behalf, will also be used by other nations to argue against cuts (what's the point of wrecking our economies, if levels of carbon dioxide will continue to rise?). Given the changes in technologies (solar panels, wind power, battery storage etc), there's no reason for China to repeat the mistakes of the 'Industrial Revolution'. That ought to be history.