China Breaks Records in Renewable Energy Expansion, Surpassing 2030 Goals
This milestone allows China to surpass its goal of generating 1,200 gigawatts from renewable energy by 2030—a target originally set by President Xi Jinping—six years ahead of schedule.
The sheer scale of this expansion is equivalent to building 357 full-sized nuclear power plants in a single year. It underscores China’s growing influence in the global energy transition, despite remaining the largest contributor to carbon emissions due to its dependence on coal for electricity, cement, and manufacturing.
“While China’s overall emissions are the largest of any single country, they have recognized—at least in part—that rapidly building renewables is essential for energy and climate security,” said Daniel Jasper, senior policy advisor at Project Drawdown.
Data from Carbon Brief shows a slight decrease in China's carbon dioxide emissions during the last 10 months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. Experts, however, caution that it is too early to determine if this marks a long-term turning point.
Meanwhile, the United States saw its own clean energy surge in 2024, with the installation of 268 gigawatts of solar and wind power. However, the U.S. clean energy sector faces challenges under President Donald Trump’s administration, which issued executive orders halting wind energy permits and prioritizing fossil fuel projects.
China's dominance extends beyond its borders. As the world's leading exporter of renewable energy equipment, including batteries, solar panels, wind turbines, and electrolyzers for hydrogen fuel, the country has also driven down global costs for clean energy solutions.
With renewable energy now cheaper than fossil fuels in most cases, China is positioning itself as a global leader in the energy transition, solidifying its role in shaping the future of clean energy.
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