China on Thursday released its action plan for carbon peak during the 15th Five-Year Plan Period (2026-2030), outlining a roadmap to achieve its goal of peaking carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 while accelerating the transition to a cleaner energy mix.

The plan sets a target of cutting carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 17% from 2025 levels by 2030. It also aims to increase the share of non-fossil fuels in total energy consumption to 25% by the end of the decade.

According to Wang Kan, director of the Dual Carbon Division at the National Center for Energy Conservation of the National Development and Reform Commission(NDRC), non-fossil energy accounted for 21.7% of China's energy consumption in 2025. Raising that share to 25% over the next five years will be key to meeting the country's carbon intensity reduction target.

To achieve these goals, the plan calls for faster optimization of the energy mix by expanding non-fossil energy development. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China will accelerate efforts to ensure that all additional electricity demand is met by newly added clean energy generation.

Tian Zhiyu, director of the Center for Sustainable Energy Development under the Energy Research Institute of the NDRC, said the shift is particularly significant amid volatility in global energy markets and transport routes. He said the transition will help strengthen the foundation for high-quality development while moving China from a coal-dominated energy system toward one led by non-fossil energy, skipping a prolonged oil- and gas-dominated stage.

The action plan also places greater emphasis on green and low-carbon industrial development.

It calls for deeper low-carbon upgrades across traditional industries, including steel, electrolytic aluminum, cement, flat glass, petrochemicals and chemicals, through energy-saving and carbon reduction projects. At the same time, it encourages the development of emerging green industries such as renewable energy, green manufacturing and green services.

By 2030, China plans to build around 100 national-level zero-carbon industrial parks and about 500 zero-carbon factories. The plan also proposes developing a number of zero-carbon transport corridors, including highway and inland waterway routes.

In the building sector, the plan promotes low- and zero-carbon heating and cooling systems, green lighting projects, wider use of high-efficiency LED lighting, and the integration of solar photovoltaic systems into buildings.

In transportation, China aims to raise the share of new energy vehicles in the national vehicle fleet to around 30% by 2030, while increasing the share of new energy-powered commercial transport vehicles to 25%.