UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday lauded as an "encouraging development" a joint statement on climate change issued last month by China and the United States to limit greenhouse gas emissions, which many believe represents a great momentum toward reaching a global climate change agreement next year.

"And most dramatically the U.S.-China joint statement and commitment to cut the greenhouse emissions in the case of the United States 26 to 28 percent and China peaking their greenhouse gas emissions by 2030," Ban said when addressing reporters here shortly after he briefed the UN General Assembly on the new sustainable development agenda.

"I am encouraged that member states have shown such very committed political will after September Summit meeting which I have convened," Ban said, referring to the UN summit on climate change which was held at UN Headquarters in New York to build consensus among 193 member states in order to reach a final agreement on climate change by the end of next year.

The joint statement came after the presidents of the world's two largest economies met in Beijing in November, following the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings. It has won praises worldwide.

According to the statement, the United States has set a target of reducing its emissions by 26 to 28 percent below its 2005 level in 2025, while China has pledged to achieve the peaking of carbon dioxide emissions around 2030 and increase the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to around 20 percent by 2030.

The UN chief also welcomed efforts of the European Union and Germany to cut the greenhouse gas emissions.

These are "encouraging developments," which will contribute to the world efforts to reach an agreement on a draft document to further protect the planet, Ban said.

Tackling climate change and protecting the Earth is one of the six key elements put forward by the secretary-general in his report on the new sustainable development agenda.

"Now, I am also encouraged by the operationalization of the Green Climate Fund," he told reporters here. "Our target was $10 billion. I think we are very close to $10 billion."

"I am sure this will be operationalized soon," he said. "All these encouraging developments and demonstration of political will and commitment is very encouraging, and I do hope that we will be able to have a draft text of the agreement, which will be finally adopted in Paris. Of course, we have a one-year negotiation process on that."

Ban said that he will travel to Lima, capital of Peru, for the ongoing conference for the parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The annual UN global climate change talks started in Lima on Monday amid hopes for hammering out a new international climate deal ahead of key talks in Paris in 2015, but this year's talks were expected to be intense.

(Xinhua News Agency December 4, 2014)