Commentary: Why China’s clean energy boom matters for global climate action

This year, China has built renewables at a truly staggering pace. But can its tech-first approach actually cut emissions – and find common ground at COP28? Griffith University's Xu Yi-chong weighs in.

BRISBANE: With an energy-hungry economy, a historic reliance on coal and vast manufacturing enterprises, China is the world’s single largest emitter, accounting for 27 per cent of the world’s carbon dioxide and a third of all greenhouse gas emissions.

But China is also the world’s largest manufacturer of solar panels and wind turbines. Domestically, it is installing green power at a rate the world has never seen. This year alone, China has built enough solar, wind, hydro and nuclear capacity to cover the entire electricity consumption of France. Next year, we may see something even more remarkable - the population giant’s first ever drop in emissions from the power sector.

The COP28 climate talks began well, buoyed by November’s Sunnyland Statement between China and the United States, the second-largest emitter. At previous climate talks, US-China cooperation has been lacking. But this time, they’re largely on the same page.  

The statement outlined joint support for global tripling of renewable energy by 2030, tackling methane and plastic pollution, and a transition away from fossil fuels.