@Pandora I am not sure which document you pulled up. I am looking at:
https://www4.unfccc.int/sites/ndcstaging/PublishedDocuments/United%20States%20of%20America%20First/U.S.A.%20First%20NDC%20Submission.pdf
and see the following specific statement of intent:
“The United States intends to achieve an economy-wide target of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 26%-28% below its 2005 level in 2025 and to make best efforts to reduce its emissions by 28%.”
Unfortunately China’s NDC at the link I have is in Chinese. However, here is a critique of it:
https://www.wri.org/blog/2015/07/closer-look-chinas-new-climate-plan-indc
From the critique:
“However, there is also significant room for improvement, including:
Articulating the expected trajectory for all greenhouse gases from now through 2030 and the expected peaking level for CO2. While studies provide some indication of this information, further detail is important considering the significance of China’s emissions globally.
Clarifying the scope and coverage of the emissions peak target. It is not clear whether the CO2 peaking target includes emissions from land-use change and forestry, shipping fuels and non-energy related CO2 emissions, such as those from cement production. These factors are not insignificant—in 2013, China’s cement industrial processes emitted nearly a gigaton of CO2, more than Germany’s total emissions.
Discussing fairness and ambition. Countries are expected to describe how they consider their contributions to be fair and ambitious—for instance, by characterizing the INDC in terms of metrics like per capita emissions, deviation from business-as-usual and more. China’s INDC touches on this topic, but does not explain in depth. These descriptions are needed to spur action from other countries, especially other major emitters.”
It is instructive that China’s, India’s and many other countries talk about reducing “emissions intensity” which ties emissions to GDP, while the US and presumably other “developed” countries address total emissions: I guess the reason is that developed countries no longer need to grow their GDP’s!