In response to China's carbon emissions, which are higher than any other country in the world, the United States persuaded the Chinese government to commit to a deadline for reducing the increase in greenhouse gas emissions about a year and a half ago.
Although this deadline is set for 2030, some researchers are examining the possibility that China's carbon dioxide emissions - the main greenhouse gas and a huge factor in global warming- are already declining more than a decade ahead of the deadline.
If the data proves this to be accurate, China's success could push other countries around the world to bolster their efforts to limit global warming to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit above preindustrial levels, a mission considered very difficult but also essential to curb the extreme environmental damages caused by greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition to pushing countries such as the United States to meet current global warming goals, a successful decline in China's greenhouse gases would pressure them to set new goals to curb global warming even more.
Despite the promise, determining if China's carbon emissions have actually peaked is a difficult process. Emissions are measured using official energy data, meaning only rough estimates for individual country emissions are used. Only years later, after the peaks have already occurred, can researchers know for sure that they have happened, and in some situations new economic changes could cause a resurgence.
Nevertheless, numerous climate researchers believe that carbon emissions from China are falling.
"It is quite possible that emissions will fall modestly from now on, implying that 2014 was the peak," a team of researchers wrote in a paper published in Nature Climate Change.
However, some point to the rising use of oil and natural gas in the country and believe that carbon emission growth from these industries will eclipse the potential drop.
"I think the total of China's carbon dioxide emissions will rise again in coming years," said Jiang Kejun, a senior researcher at China's main economic planning agency.
Others point to the growth in Chinese cities, with increased urbanization pushing reliance on heavy industry.
"Most Chinese cities are building out," said Angel Hsu of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, adding that more data on the impact of these processes is needed to determine if carbon emissions are going to remain curbed in the future.
With evidence on the detrimental effects of global warming piling up, including a study that trillions of dollars worth of financial assets will be under threat by the process by 2100, curbing China's carbon emissions is becoming increasingly important, but only time will tell how successful the country's efforts are.
