China – August 23, 2025
In a significant development with global implications, new analysis has revealed that China’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions fell by 1% year-on-year in the first half of 2025. This extends a promising decline that began in March 2024 and is largely attributed to the nation’s unprecedented expansion of renewable energy sources, particularly solar power. As the world’s largest emitter, this sustained reduction in China’s CO2 output is a major step towards achieving international climate goals and demonstrates the effectiveness of a strategic, large-scale transition to clean energy. The data suggests that China’s emissions may be on track for a full-year decrease in 2025, a critical milestone on its path to peaking emissions before 2030.
Headline Points
* Record Solar Growth: The primary driver of the emissions decline is the explosive growth of clean power generation. In the first half of 2025, the growth in solar power alone was sufficient to meet the increase in electricity demand, allowing the power sector—the nation’s largest source of emissions—to reduce its coal use.
* Emissions Reduction in Key Sectors: The power sector’s emissions fell by 3% during this period. The reduction in emissions was also seen in other key industries, including building materials, metals, cement, and steel, which were impacted by a continued slowdown in the country’s real estate sector.
* Positive Trend, But Challenges Remain: While the decline is a positive sign, it is important to note that the overall emissions remain only slightly below their most recent peak. The study also highlighted a sharp rise in emissions from the chemicals industry, where coal use for synthetic fuels and petrochemicals grew significantly.
* Decarbonization Efforts: This trend is a result of China’s sustained efforts to restructure its economy and prioritize a transition to cleaner energy. The country has been building new renewable energy capacity at a record-breaking pace and has plans to expand its national carbon emissions trading scheme to include more industries.
* Impact on Global Climate Goals: China has a commitment to peak its emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. The current trajectory suggests that it may achieve its peak emissions target ahead of schedule, which would be a monumental boost to global efforts to combat climate change.
