China is building almost twice as much wind and solar energy capacity as every other country combined, research published on Thursday showed.
China has committed to bring carbon emissions to a peak by 2030 and to net zero by 2060. It has endured several waves of extreme weather in recent months that scientists say are rendered more severe by climate change.
China currently has a total of 339 gigawatts of capacity under construction, including 159 GW of wind and 180 GW of solar. That is “nearly twice as much as the rest of the world combined,” according to the study by Global Energy Monitor, a United States-based NGO.
The figure far exceeds the second-ranked nation, the US, which is building a total of just 40 GW, the report said.
It said China has broken ground on a third of new wind and solar capacity it has announced to date, compared to a global average of just seven percent.
“The stark contrast in construction rates illustrates the active nature of China’s commitment to building renewables projects,” the study said.
China’s combined wind and solar capacity is set to overtake coal this year, according to the report, which said the rapid renewables expansion raises hopes that China’s carbon emissions will peak even sooner than expected.
In a separate report released yesterday, the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air found China issued no new permits for coal-based steelmaking projects in the first half of 2024.
The CREA said that was the first time on a half-yearly basis that there have been no new permits since China announced its “dual carbon goals” in September 2020 – a development hailed as a possible “turning point” by the report.
“As China’s steel demand peaks and more scrap becomes available, there is great potential to shift away from coal-based production, representing a significant opportunity for emissions reduction in the next 10 years,” it said.