China is significantly accelerating its renewable energy drive, installing 1.5 times more wind and solar capacity this year than last, which accounts for three-quarters of global capacity currently under construction, according to a report released Wednesday.
While China remains the world’s largest emitter of planet-warming greenhouse gases, emitting more than twice as much as the United States, its historical contribution to climate change is lower. However, it is also a global leader in renewable energy, adding capacity at an unprecedented rate.
This year alone, China has 510 gigawatts of utility-scale solar and wind power under construction, a 57 percent increase from last year, when its installations already far outpaced its closest peers, as reported by the US-based Global Energy Monitor (GEM). Beijing has announced plans for 1.3 terawatts of projects so far, which is nearly equivalent to its current solar and wind energy capacity of 1.4 terawatts.
The report highlights that China now accounts for three-quarters of all solar and wind capacity being built worldwide. The wind capacity currently under construction alone would be “enough to power about 120 million United States households,” according to the GEM report.
This report follows a separate finding in May, which indicated that China’s emissions fell in the first quarter of 2025 despite rapidly growing power demand, thanks to soaring renewable and nuclear energy.
Beijing has aimed to position itself as a global leader in combating climate change, particularly as its main rival, the United States, has shown signs of retreating from global cooperation under President Donald Trump’s administration. The Chinese government has pledged to achieve a 65 percent reduction in carbon intensity—or carbon emissions relative to GDP—by 2030 from 2005 levels.
President Xi Jinping reiterated this year that China’s efforts to combat climate change “will not slow down” despite evolving international circumstances. He also stated that China would announce its 2035 greenhouse gas reduction targets, known as Nationally Determined Contributions, before COP30 in November, and that these targets would cover all planet-warming gases, not just carbon dioxide.
Despite these advancements, China continues to invest heavily in coal power infrastructure. However, analysts suggest that much of this is intended to serve as backup for renewable energy sources. In 2024, China began construction on 94.5 gigawatts of coal power projects, representing 93 percent of the global total, as per a February report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air and GEM.
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