During the 2017-18 winter, the clean energy heating rate in northern China reached about 50.7 percent, replacing about 100 million tons of scattered coal, according to data released by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment on Wednesday, chinanews.com reported.

Clean energy heating area in northern China grew by about 3.6 billion square meters over the same period, data showed.

Winter heating with clean energy is part of China's efforts to curb air pollution and reduce its carbon dioxide emissions.

Zhao Yingmin, vice-minister of ecology and environment, said based on preliminary calculation, the carbon dioxide emissions of China's GDP per unit (carbon intensity) fell by 4 percent in 2018, a decrease of 45.8 percent from 2005, which is equivalent to a reduction of 5.26 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

In addition, the proportion of non-fossil energy in total energy consumption reached 14.3 percent.

Zhao emphasized that although China still faces multiple challenges, including economic development, poverty elimination and environmental improvement, its determination and confidence in coping with climate change will never waver.

China will fulfill its international commitments to combat climate change "at 100 percent", as it continues to promote low-carbon and high-quality economic development, he added.

China will strengthen the control of greenhouse gas emissions, continue South-South cooperation on climate change, and promote green and low-carbon ways of living and production in its continuous efforts to cope with climate change, he said.