China’s fast expansion of renewable energy sources may have nearly stopped the country’s emissions increase. This milestone and its future are depicted in five charts.
China, the biggest carbon dioxide (CO2) emitter in the world, has achieved a significant milestone: for the first time in its history, less than half of the nation’s power was produced using coal in the first half of 2026.
These filthy black pebbles served as the foundation of China’s economy twenty years ago. As the nation rapidly modernized, coal power provided 80% of the electricity used.
China’s Great Emissions Slowdown
According to one estimate, the rise of China’s CO2 emissions has essentially ceased in recent years, which is a powerful signal for the nation’s and the global endeavor to attain net zero. Another research suggests that China’s emissions may have peaked in 2025, five years ahead of the nation’s stated timetable.
These five charts, which range from solar megafarms to electric vehicles, explain China’s remarkable emissions reduction, how it got there, and what lies ahead as it strives to achieve net zero emissions by 2060.
China’s Rising Carbon Emissions
Over the past thirty years, China’s economy has grown enormously. Its CO2 emissions, which increased by over five times between 1990 and 2024, have also increased.
During this time, China’s proportion of the world’s CO2 increased from around 10% to over 30%, the biggest rise in the world.
According to Yu Aiqun, a research analyst at Global Energy Monitor (GEM), a non-profit organization in the US, China plays a “pivotal role” in the global battle against climate change not only because it is the biggest CO2 emitter but also because its emissions have increased at the quickest pace.
China’s Carbon Emissions Begin Declining
Some people think China has already reached a turning point. According to statistics from Climate Action Tracker (CAT), a cooperative effort that evaluates governments’ climate measures, the nation’s carbon emissions peaked in 2024 and decreased in 2025. China’s carbon emissions are expected to drop by around 18% by 2035, according to CAT.
Similar patterns have previously occurred, such as when China’s government reduced coal production and steel production between 2014 and 2016 and when lockdowns halted transportation and manufacturing during COVID-19.
However, according to Belinda Schäpe, the head of CREA’s China team, there is a fundamental difference this time.
China’s Uncertain Emissions Peak
Whether China has already reached its 2030 CO2 emission peak is difficult to determine with certainty. According to Lauri Myllyvirta, chief analyst at CREA, Beijing’s current policy language is “ambiguous”. “The government has not defined what it means for emissions to have peaked – whether it refers to emissions stabilizing or peaking then declining – and how this would be verified.”
According to the government’s most current emissions statistics for 2021, China has not yet confirmed if its CO2 emissions have peaked.
But whether China’s emissions would rapidly decline after the peak is more crucial.
China’s Renewable Energy Revolution
Vast arrays of solar panels have been installed on roofs, and enormous wind and solar power plants have emerged in the desert under China’s strict regulatory guidance. Off the coast of China, massive wind turbines are capturing the force of powerful storms.
China built 217 gigawatts (GW) of solar panels in 2023 alone—more than the US had ever done. This achievement was replicated in 2024 and 2025.
Even though China needs to produce an increasing amount of power year for air cooling, a renewable energy boom has kept the country from reverting to fossil fuels.
