China, considered the world's largest CO₂ emitter, recorded its first decline in fossil fuel emissions in 2025, despite rising energy consumption. According to official statistics, emissions from the energy and industrial sectors decreased by 0,3%, while overall electricity consumption increased by 3,5%, thanks to the country's rapid development of renewable energy sources.
The main increase in green energy in China was driven by solar power, which largely drove this growth and reduced coal use. Overall, the share of renewable energy in China's electricity generation reached 40% by 2025 (up from 37% the previous year), with solar power making the largest contribution to this growth.
Let us emphasize once again: the added capacity of renewable energy completely covered the increase in electricity demand and even led to a slight decrease in coal-fired power generation. Experts note that China is actively converting coal-fired power plants into peak-shaving buffers, which are used only to cover surges in demand or compensate for dips in wind and solar power generation. In other words, coal-fired power plants are no longer the backbone of China's energy system.
Emissions declines are also observed in other sectors: a decline in construction has led to a decrease in cement production and associated CO₂ emissions, while the widespread electrification of transport (increasing sales of electric vehicles) has contributed to a drop in emissions in the transport sector. Carbon Brief analysis shows that CO₂ emissions in China have remained stable or declined for 21 consecutive months, suggesting that emissions are likely to peak earlier than the officially announced date (2030).
Climate scientists consider this an "encouraging sign," emphasizing that China's large-scale deployment of renewable energy is beginning to yield measurable results. While one year of decline doesn't solve the global climate problem, the trend offers hope for a sustainable, long-term reduction in emissions if China continues its current clean energy policies.
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Source: 3dnews.ru
