China's clean energy transition: Progress so far and future plans

China has become the world's largest investor in energy transition, contributing to global energy transition and a clean world, said a white paper released by China's State Council Information Office on Thursday.

Titled "China's Energy Transition," the white paper outlines the country's achievements in energy transition over the past decade, and its future plans for adopting a cleaner and more sustainable energy system.

China is world's largest investor in clean energy

China's investment in energy transition reached $676 billion in 2023, making it the world's largest investor in this field. 

The white paper highlights that China has advanced technological innovation in renewable energy, leading to significant reductions in the costs of wind and photovoltaic power worldwide. In 2023, China's exports of these technologies helped other nations cut carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 810 million tonnes.

Since 2013, China has been a major contributor to the increase in global renewable energy capacity, accounting for over 40 percent of the annual growth. In 2023 alone, China's newly installed capacity represented more than half of the world's total.

This has positioned China as a front-runner to the global renewable energy sector and a major driving force behind the world's rapid expansion of renewable energy capacity, as noted in the International Energy Agency's "Renewables 2023" report. From 2014 to 2023, the global share of non-fossil fuels in energy consumption rose from 13.6 percent to 18.5 percent, with China contributing 45.2 percent to this increase.

Share of clean energy consumption reached 26.4 percent by 2023

China has rapidly expanded its clean energy infrastructure, with a total installed power generation capacity of 2,920 gigawatts by the end of 2023. Of this, 1,700 gigawatts, or 58.2 percent, came from clean energy sources. The share of clean energy in China's total energy consumption increased from 15.5 percent in 2013 to 26.4 percent in 2023, while the share of coal consumption decreased by 12.1 percentage points over the same period, according to the white paper.

By 2023, clean energy made up 39.7 percent of China's total electricity generation, up by around 15 percentage points from 2013. This shift indicates that over half of the increase in electricity consumption over the past decade has been driven by clean energy, reflecting a steadily expanding role for green energy in China's overall energy mix.

Energy efficiency and conservation

In addition to expanding renewable energy, China has focused on improving energy efficiency across various sectors. By the end of 2023, the country had issued 335 national standards on energy consumption limits and efficiency and introduced a labeling system covering 44 categories of energy-using products, the white pater noted.

Market-oriented mechanisms like energy performance contracting have been promoted, along with "one-stop" services for energy conservation. The total output value of the energy conservation service industry surpassed 500 billion yuan ($70.44 million) in 2023, doubling from 2013.

These measures are part of a broader effort to reduce energy consumption per unit of GDP, which fell by over 26 percent between 2013 and 2023. This reduction resulted in energy savings equivalent to 1.4 billion tonnes of standard coal and a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by about 3 billion tonnes over the decade.

Green lifestyles

The white paper also details efforts to promote energy conservation and low-carbon living, including public campaigns like the National Ecology Day and National Energy Conservation Week. The government has encouraged green travel, with public transport, cycling and walking becoming preferred modes of transportation. By 2023, 97 of 109 cities, which involved in a green travel campaign, met the standards, achieving green travel rates above 70 percent.

Future goals and strategic planning

China has achieved its 2030 target of reaching a total installed capacity of 1.2 billion kilowatts for wind and solar power generation six years ahead of schedule, according to Li Chuangjun, director general of the Department of New Energy and Renewable Energy Sources at the National Energy Administration.

"China's wind power and solar power generation have leapt forward in high quality, making important contributions to addressing climate change and ensuring energy supply," he said.

Li further emphasized the need for continued efforts to meet China's goals of peaking carbon emissions and achieving 25 percent non-fossil energy consumption by 2030. He noted that China would continue to plan and implement new measures to address climate change and promote sustainable development.

International cooperation

China has worked with over 100 countries and regions on green energy projects, contributing to the global energy supply, easing inflation pressures, and supporting the shift toward greener development.

Moving forward, China will work with the rest of the world to improve the industrial and supply chains of clean energy and contribute to global sustainable energy development, said the white paper.