China\u2019s carbon dioxide emissions have been flat or falling for 18 months, analysis reveals, adding evidence to the hope that the world\u2019s biggest polluter has managed to hit its target of peak CO2 emissions well ahead of schedule.<\/p>\n
Rapid increases in the deployment of solar and wind power generation \u2013 which grew by 46% and 11% respectively in the third quarter of this year \u2013 meant the country\u2019s energy sector emissions remained flat, even as the demand for electricity increased.<\/p>\n
China added 240GW of solar capacity in the first nine months of this year, and 61GW of wind, putting it on track for another renewable record<\/a> in 2025. Last year, the country installed 333GW of solar power, more than the rest of the world combined.<\/p>\n The analysis<\/a> by Lauri Myllyvirta at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (Crea), for the science and climate policy website Carbon Brief, found China\u2019s CO2 emissions were unchanged from a year earlier in the third quarter of 2025, thanks in part to declining emissions in the travel, cement and steel industries.<\/p>\n The findings come as global leaders gather in Brazil<\/a> for Cop30, which is taking place against a backdrop of increasing urgency in the fight against the climate crisis. China\u2019s president, Xi Jinping, did not attend the leaders\u2019 summit at the UN climate conference, but the Chinese delegation are present for the talks. Xi\u2019s US counterpart, Donald Trump, also did not attend and has not sent a negotiation team.<\/p>\n Last week, the UN secretary general, Ant\u00f3nio Guterres, said<\/a> the world was facing a \u201cmoral failure and deadly negligence\u201d if governments failed to limit global heating to 1.5C.<\/p>\n China\u2019s CO2 emissions have been flat or falling for 18 months<\/a><\/p>\n