By Abbas Nazil
In a significant development for global climate efforts, China — the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter — has reported a decrease in emissions even as its energy demand and economic activity grew.
This marks the first time China has achieved such a milestone without an economic slowdown being the driving factor.
The drop, estimated at 1% over the past year, has been largely attributed to the country’s rapid deployment of clean energy sources like solar, wind, and nuclear power.
This decline is not just symbolic; it represents a potential turning point in the global effort to combat climate change.
Analysts suggest it positions China ahead of its climate commitment to peak emissions before 2030, a goal set under the Paris Agreement.
Lauri Myllyvirta of the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air, in a report for Carbon Brief, underscored that the reduction in emissions occurred concurrently with economic growth, which historically has meant an increase in fossil fuel use.
The shift implies that China is beginning to decouple its emissions from economic performance — a critical step toward sustainable development.
The news comes as the world prepares for the COP30 climate conference in Brazil, where countries are expected to present stronger climate action plans for 2035.
President Xi Jinping has pledged that China will present a comprehensive strategy to further reduce emissions across its economy.
Meanwhile, the United States, once a leader in global climate agreements, may not participate meaningfully, having withdrawn from the Paris Agreement during President Donald Trump’s administration.
China’s success stems from massive investments in renewable energy. The country is now the global leader in manufacturing solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and energy storage batteries.
It is not only installing these technologies at a rapid pace domestically but also exporting them widely, especially to developing nations.
Last year, renewables accounted for 90% of new power capacity installed globally, driven in large part by China’s output.
Despite the encouraging signs, experts caution that the decrease in emissions could be temporary. An acceleration in economic growth could reverse this trend if fossil fuel consumption rises again.
Moreover, China still emits other potent greenhouse gases such as HFC-23, which has a global warming potential thousands of times higher than CO₂.
Although China has pledged to halt HFC-23 emissions under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, enforcement remains key to long-term reductions.
To sustain progress, analysts argue for continued investment in clean energy innovation and early-stage R\&D.
Without stronger global climate policies and technology breakthroughs, emissions reductions may stall.
As the world’s largest emitter and clean energy investor, China’s role will be pivotal in determining the pace of global climate action in the coming decades.