China's coal consumption could peak around 2020 if proactive measures are taken to control carbon emissions, an expert said on Monday.

Zhou Nan, a researcher at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the United States, made the remarks at a Beijing seminar on reducing coal consumption.

Zhou predicted that carbon dioxide emissions in China will peak around 2040, but could come a decade earlier if stricter controls are adopted.

China announced its post-2020 goals of coping with climate change last week, vowing 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, from 9.8 percent in 2013.

The National Development and Reform Commission released a national plan in response to climate change in September, optimizing the energy mix by controlling coal consumption, using clean coal and more green energy.

Coal burning is one of the main sources of air pollutants and China has installed filters at power plants, steel and cement factories.

"By 2020, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and soot will be reduced by 30 percent, 42 percent and 30 percent respectively from 2012, thanks to these devices," said Wang Jinnan of the environmental protection ministry.