China's green energy revolution: Powering the future of the world

The scale of the renewables revolution in China is almost too vast for the human mind to grasp. By the end of last year, the country had installed 887 gigawatts of solar-power capacity – close to double Europe's and America's combined total, according to a report by The Economist titled "China's clean-energy revolution will reshape markets and politics."

The report notes that China, with its vast manufacturing capacity and low-cost electricity, has become a country capable of supplying clean power on a global scale. This capability is not only reshaping the global energy and geopolitical landscape but also significantly enhancing the world's ability to confront the catastrophic impacts of climate change.

Meanwhile, a recent report by the Financial Times says China's green bond market has outpaced its Western rivals for the first time this year. In 2025, China issued a record $70.3 billion in bonds, either approved or compliant with the Climate Bonds Initiative. China accounted for more than 17 percent of global green bond issuances this year, while the United States accounted for 3 percent.

The report states that China is currently responsible for three-quarters of the world's wind and solar project construction and leads globally in hydropower, renewable energy storage and transmission, and green hydrogen facilities. It also has the largest number of nuclear power plants under construction worldwide.

These advances align with China's "dual carbon" goal, announced at the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2020, pledging to achieve carbon dioxide peaking before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060.

Under the new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), China aims by 2035 to reduce economy-wide net greenhouse gas emissions by 7 percent to 10 percent from peak levels; lift non-fossil fuels to over 30 percent of total energy consumption; expand the total installed capacity of wind and solar power generation to reach 3.6 billion kilowatts, more than six times the 2020 level; scale up the total forest stock volume to over 24 billion cubic meters; make new energy vehicles the mainstream in new-car sales; expand the National Carbon Emission Trading System to cover major high-emission sectors; and basically establish a climate-adaptive society.

Looking ahead to China's 15th Five-Year Plan, the strategy also highlights the importance of using carbon peaking and carbon neutrality as guiding goals to coordinate efforts to cut carbon emissions, reduce pollution, pursue green development and boost economic growth.

China has already built the world's largest and fastest-growing renewable energy system, along with the world's largest and most complete new energy industry chain, according to Chai Qimin, director of the Strategy and Planning Department at the National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation.

By the end of September, China's installed capacity of new energy storage exceeded 100 million kilowatts, a more than 30-fold increase compared to the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan. This capacity accounts for over 40 percent of the global total, making China first worldwide, according to the National Energy Administration.