China’s emissions hovered close to last year’s levels for most of 2024 despite power demand outpacing GDP growth. Surging solar and wind capacity met a large chunk of the extra energy needs keeping coal based emissions in check. While the initial months of the year saw a spike due to the post-zero-Covid rebound, overall emission growth was softer than expected
Surging solar and wind capacity met a large chunk of the extra energy needs…
Renewable capacity is poised to climb even higher in 2025 though a renewed construction push or industrial stimulus could still fuel emissions. Policy decisions this year, including fresh Paris Agreement targets and the next five-year plan, will influence whether coal usage recedes and emissions finally start to dip. These findings come from a recent analysis by CarbonBrief.
