China Leads Global Renewable Energy Surge, Defies Emissions Expectations

According to the latest news, China, the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, is also leading the global surge in renewable energy adoption. As of 2025-11-04T06:22:55+00:00, China emits over 30% of global greenhouse gases, estimated at 15.6 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2024.

However, China has also made significant strides in renewable energy installation and electric vehicle (EV) production. In September 2025, China announced its first numerical greenhouse gas reduction targets, pledging to slash emissions by 7-10% by 2035. While this target is considered unambitious by some experts, there is hope that China will "underpromise but overachieve" as it has done with previous renewable energy goals.

China's official climate roadmap this week confirmed President Xi Jinping's September target announcements, including a new goal to increase solar and wind power capacity by six times their 2020 levels to 3,600 gigawatts (GW) by 2035. China currently has 1,482 GW of wind and solar capacity, and analysts widely view the country as likely to hit and possibly exceed its 2035 target early. Additionally, China wants to raise the share of non-fossil fuels in its total energy consumption to over 30% by 2035, a target that is already projected to be achieved.

China's leadership in the EV market is also noteworthy, as it accounts for over 70% of global EV production. In 2024, almost half of new car sales in China were electric battery-powered or plug-in hybrids, according to the International Energy Agency.