Until now, China has been the leading emitter of harmful greenhouse gases in the world, and emissions of CO2 in the country have been rising year after year. More than a year ago, US negotiators asked the government of China to pledge to curb greenhouse gas emissions in the country within a deadline.

Under an agreement, the US government also announced to reverse the growth of dangerous gases that cause global warming. China also pledged to limit the greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The deadline is far off, but capital Beijing’s concession is a big step in efforts to effectively manage climate change, as per environmentalists.

Now, a group of researchers surveying China’s slowing economy wants to know whether greenhouse gas emissions are failing in the East Asian country. The group has raised the question more than a decade before the deadline. If the emissions are really falling, then it could give a message to the world that global warming can be controlled. It would also put pressure on other countries to limit their emissions to meet the two degrees Celsius goal set by countries.

The fall is Chinese emissions could even push the US and other developed or developing countries to meet their own targets on time. It will also be a perfect reply to those people who think the US should not make any pledge regarding limit of carbon emissions because China is the main culprit.

But it is not easy to find right now if carbon emissions in China are falling. Climate researchers can use data to provide rough estimates on emissions. It can be concluded years after the fact. Still, some climate scientists think China’s CO2 emissions may be falling since the country joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, as per a report published by the journal Climate Policy in February.