China is consolidating its position as a global leader in renewable energy, building twice as much wind and solar capacity as the rest of the world, according to a study released Thursday.
The Asian giant, with its huge population (1.4 billion inhabitants) and its status as a manufacturing country with many factories, is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, which scientists say are accelerating climate change.
China has pledged to stabilize or decrease its emissions by 2030 and then achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.
It is thus significantly developing its renewable energy capacities: it is currently building 180 gigawatts (GW) of solar energy and 159 GW of additional wind energy, according to a study by the American organization Global Energy Monitor (GEM).
According to the report, this total of 339 GW “represents 64% of the solar and wind energy” that is “currently under construction” on the planet, almost double the rest of the world combined.
China is followed by the United States (40 GW), Brazil (13 GW), the United Kingdom (10 GW) and Spain (9 GW), according to GEM, an organization that lists fossil fuel and renewable energy projects around the world.
Coal again
These 339 GW represent a third of the total new capacities in wind and solar announced by national authorities and whose construction has actually started, “which far exceeds” the world average (7%), notes the study.
“The stark contrast between these two percentages illustrates the very proactive nature of China in its commitments to building renewable energy projects,” she said.
China, however, still relies heavily on its coal-fired power plants, a highly polluting fossil fuel, to meet rising electricity demand.
It is also struggling to transport some of the renewable energy produced in remote areas to the densely populated economic centres of the east.
However, China’s combined wind and solar capacity is expected to surpass that of coal this year, according to GEM.
This rapid expansion of renewable energy suggests that China’s emissions will peak sooner than expected, the study said.
“A turning point”
In a separate report released Thursday, the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), a Finland-based research institute, said China has not issued any new permits for coal-fired steel projects in the first half of 2024.
According to the study, which speaks of a possible “turning point”, this is the first half of the year in which such permits have not been issued since September 2020, when China announced its emissions promises for 2030 and 2060.
“With steel demand in China reaching a peak,” there “is significant potential to phase out coal-based production, representing a significant opportunity for emissions reductions over the next 10 years,” CREA said.
According to scientists, global warming is making extreme weather events more frequent and intense.
China is experiencing a summer marked by scorching heat in the north and torrential rains in its southern half.
The heavy rains that have hit eastern and southern parts of the country have also triggered a series of deadly floods and landslides in recent weeks.