China is already the global leader in clean energy investment, said Eric  Heitz, CEO of the Energy Foundation (EF), Thursday in Beijing.

Clean wind power, solar energy, electric vehicles, LED lighting that  uses less power but gives very good lighting, more efficient appliances  like refrigerators or washing machines, and more efficient industrial  equipment are the areas where China is a global leader, said Heitz.

"Many people, including the Chinese people, don't know that China  has become a global leader," Heitz said. "And with new commitments,  China will accelerate its leadership even further."

In November 2014, China and the United States announced a climate  change agreement, in which China pledged that by no later than 2030 its  carbon emissions would peak and non-fossil fuels would account for 20  percent of the country's energy mix.

In September this year, during his state visit to the United States,  President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama made another  joint declaration on climate change.

"This is unusual,showing the two countries have much common ground on the issue," said EF's senior vice president Lin Jiang.

"The (upcoming) COP21 is a big deal for China and for the planet.  But no matter what happens in Paris, it will still be true that China  has stepped up as global leader on global warming, " Heitz says.

A U.S. non-profit organization, EF works to assist China in  transitioning towards clean energy by offering international best  practices.