With a boom in solar and wind installations over recent years, a new report predicts that China's coal consumption could peak by 2025.
China, the world’s biggest polluter, is heavily reliant on coal. In 2023, the country’s global operating coal capacity grew by 2% in 2023 to 2,130GW.
But there are signs the world’s second-largest economy may be weaning itself off the fossil fuel. Not only did coal power permits fall 83% in the first half of this year but China is also leading the way in renewables development with 180GW of utility-scale solar and 159GW of wind power already under construction.
A new report – China’s climate transition: outlook 2024 – by think tanks Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and the International Society for Energy Transition Studies (ISETS) assessed China’s progress towards the country’s climate commitments and emissions pathways aligned with the Paris Agreement goals.
CREA surveyed 44 experts representing diverse specialisations in the fields...