Regan Brown
China is the world's largest consumer of energy and coal, and emits around one-quarter of the world's greenhouse gases, the largest share of any country. In 2020, coal accounted for 56.8% of China's domestic energy generation, and coal-powered energy accounted for more than 57% of China's energy consumption. China has ambitious goals for cutting its carbon emissions, but it won't be abandoning coal power anytime soon. The country has committed to making non-fossil fuels 20% of its energy supply by 2030 and to peak CO2 emissions by 2030. To achieve these goals, China is turning to nuclear power and investing in clean energy transition.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| China's cumulative carbon emissions | The largest in the world |
| China's share of global emissions between 1990 and 2020 | 22% |
| China's share of global emissions in 2020 | 56.8% |
| China's share of global emissions in 2015 | 72.4% |
| China's rural household emissions from coal in 2015 | Over 65% |
| China's population exposed to harmful emissions from household burning of coal and other solid fuels in 2020 | 36% |
| China's share of carbon-heavy fuel in national energy consumption by 2025 | 20% |
| China's share of coal-fired heavy industry in economic activity in 2020 | 37% |
| China's share of coal-powered energy in energy consumption in 2019 | Over 57% |
| China's additional coal-fired power capacity in 2020 | 38.4 GW |
| China's share of non-fossil fuel energy in total energy usage by 2025 | 20% |
| China's total installed capacity of wind and solar power by 2030 | Over 1.2 billion kilowatts |
| China's number of nuclear power reactors as of January 2022 | 53 |
| China's nuclear power generation capacity by 2025 | 70,000 MW |
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What You'll Learn
China's commitment to nuclear energy
China is the world's largest consumer of energy, demanding the energetic equivalent of almost 3.3 billion tonnes of oil in a year. The country has also emitted around one-quarter of the world's greenhouse gases, the largest share of any country. In 2012, China was the largest source of carbon emissions, with its increment that year comprising about 70% of the world's total increase.
China has recognised the need to transition to cleaner energy sources and has emerged as the world's largest investor in clean energy transition. In 2021, the country invested $266 billion in energy transition measures, accounting for more than one-third of the global total. China's commitment to nuclear energy is also outlined in its national economic blueprint, the 14th Five-Year Plan, which aims to increase the installed capacity of operating nuclear power plants to 70,000 MW by 2025.
China's pursuit of nuclear energy dates back to the 1950s, when the country first began cooperating with the USSR on nuclear initiatives. By the 1980s, China had constructed its first independently designed and built nuclear power plant, the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant, which was connected to the grid in 1991. Since then, China has become largely self-sufficient in reactor design and construction and has rapidly expanded its nuclear power capacity. As of 2024, China had between 53 and 58 operating nuclear power plants, with a total net capacity of around 50,769 MW to 60.88 GW, making it the second-largest generator of nuclear electricity, after the United States.
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China's carbon neutrality pledge
China is the world's largest consumer of energy and the largest emitter of carbon dioxide. In 2020, China emitted around one-quarter of the world's greenhouse gases, more than any other country. China's cumulative carbon emissions between 1990 and 2020 were the largest in the world, with China and the United States responsible for 22% and 19.5% of total global emissions, respectively. China's reliance on fossil fuels, particularly coal, has contributed significantly to its high emissions. In 2015, coal contributed over 65% of China's rural household emissions, and in 2020, an estimated 36% of China's population was exposed to harmful emissions from the household burning of coal and other solid fuels.
Recognizing the urgency of addressing its carbon emissions, China has made significant pledges towards carbon neutrality. In September 2020, President Xi Jinping announced China's commitment to reach "carbon neutrality before 2060" at the UN General Assembly. This pledge, known as the long-term strategy (LTS), was officially submitted to the UNFCCC in October 2021. China aims to peak its CO2 emissions before 2030 and has set intermediate targets to align with this goal, including reducing coal consumption and increasing the share of non-fossil fuels in its energy mix.
China's 14th Five-Year Plan outlines a range of mitigation measures to facilitate the country's transition away from coal. It includes increasing the installed capacity of nuclear power plants to 70,000 MW by 2025 and investing in clean energy technologies such as electric vehicles, batteries, and solar power. China is also the world's largest investor in the clean energy transition, investing $266 billion in 2021, accounting for more than one-third of the global total.
While China has made substantial commitments towards carbon neutrality, challenges remain. The country's growing energy demand has made it difficult to reduce absolute emissions and meet long-term carbon neutrality goals. Additionally, coal plant construction continues to expand, driven by regional stimulus. China's climate policies have been rated as ""Insufficient" by the Climate Action Tracker, and its LTS submission has been evaluated as "Poor" due to not meeting best-practice criteria. Nonetheless, China's pledges and investments in clean energy demonstrate a strong commitment to addressing its carbon emissions and contributing to the global fight against climate change.
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China's coal consumption
China is the world's largest consumer and producer of coal. In 2021, its coal consumption and production accounted for more than half of the world's total. China's coal consumption is closely linked to the country's industrialization. Between 2002 and 2013, coal accounted for 77% of the increase in primary energy demand, driven mainly by coal consumption in the cement, chemical, and steel sectors. In 2020, 60% of coal was used for electricity and heat generation. Industry accounted for one-third of the demand, with buildings, agriculture, and non-energy use representing another 7%. In 2021, 62.6% of China's power generation came from coal, a slight decrease from 2020 when the figure was 63.3%.
In recent years, China has imported approximately 8-10% of the coal it uses, with net imports accounting for a smaller share of around 6-7%. In 2020, Chinese coal imports reached a record 304 million tonnes, rising to 323 million tonnes in 2021. China's import requirements have been driven by factors including surging electricity demand, domestic transportation bottlenecks, economic factors, environmental and safety considerations, and concerns about depleting coking coal reserves. In 2023, China imported 23.47 million metric tons of coal from Australia, an increase from 2.86 million after a two-year ban was ended.
Recognizing the environmental impact of coal consumption, China has pledged to strictly control and reduce its coal use. In 2016, China committed to making non-fossil fuel energy 20% of its energy supply by 2030 and to peaking CO2 emissions by 2030. China is turning to nuclear power and investing in clean energy transition measures to decrease its reliance on coal and other fossil fuels. In 2021, China invested $266 billion in energy transition initiatives, accounting for over one-third of the global total.
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China's investment in clean energy transition
China is the world's largest consumer of energy, demanding the energetic equivalent of almost 3.3 billion tonnes of oil annually. The country has been notorious for being the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, using as much heavily polluting coal as the rest of the world combined. China's cumulative carbon emissions are the largest in the world, with the country responsible for 22% of total global emissions between 1990 and 2020.
However, China has also emerged as the world's single largest investor in the clean energy transition. In 2021, the country invested $266 billion in energy transition measures, accounting for more than one-third of the global total. China's clean energy investments in 2023 focused on the "new three" industries of solar power, electric vehicles (EVs), and batteries. In 2022, China installed as much solar photovoltaic capacity as the rest of the world combined, and in 2023, it doubled new solar installations, increased new wind capacity by 66%, and nearly quadrupled additions of energy storage.
China's investment in clean energy is driven by the need to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, address its escalating pollution crisis, and participate in the global effort to cut emissions. In 2016, China committed to making non-fossil fuel energy 20% of its energy supply by 2030 and to peaking CO2 emissions by that year. Ahead of the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, China pledged to further limit the increase in domestic coal consumption and increase the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to around 25% by 2030.
China is also turning to nuclear power to decrease its reliance on fossil fuels. As of January 2022, the country operated 53 nuclear power reactors, generating a total of 50,769 MW of energy. China's national economic blueprint, the 14th Five-Year Plan, outlined plans to increase the installed capacity of operating nuclear power plants to 70,000 MW by 2025.
China's clean energy boom is going global, with Chinese companies building electric vehicle and battery factories in multiple countries. The country's massive investment in clean technology manufacturing and exports gives it a significant economic stake in the global transition to clean energy technologies.
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China's carbon emissions
China is the world's largest consumer of energy, demanding the energetic equivalent of almost 3.3 billion tonnes of oil per year. It has been the largest burner of coal since 2011, burning more than all other countries combined. Coal-fired power accounted for 56.8% of China's domestic energy generation in 2020, down from 72.4% 15 years prior. Coal-powered energy accounted for more than 57% of China's energy consumption in 2019, and in 2020, China added 38.4 gigawatts of coal-fired power to its capacity—over three times the combined amount built in the rest of the world. China emits around one-quarter of the world's greenhouse gases, the largest share of any country. Between 1990 and 2020, China was responsible for 22% of total global carbon emissions, more than any other country.
China has ambitious goals for cutting its carbon emissions. In 2016, it committed to making non-fossil fuel energy 20% of its energy supply by 2030 and to peaking CO2 emissions by 2030. In 2021, China invested $266 billion in energy transition measures, accounting for over a third of the global total. In 2022, China operated 53 nuclear power reactors, which generated a total of 50,769 MW of energy. China has also turned to innovations in energy storage technology to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels. Its 14th Five-Year Plan aims to increase non-fossil fuel energy to 20% of its energy supply by 2025.
Despite these efforts, China has no plans to abandon coal power anytime soon. Coal is readily available, and renewable energy needs to develop further in China. China's energy structure is dominated by coal power, which offers steady pay for millions of miners. Coal-fired heavy industry made up 37% of China's economic activity in 2020. China's GDP target of 6% in 2021 was largely dependent on coal power. Policymakers have even relaxed rules to facilitate more local investment in coal power plants.
In 2021, China pledged to go carbon-neutral by 2060. President Xi Jinping said the country's carbon emissions would begin to decline by 2030. China has committed to strictly controlling coal-fired generation projects and limiting increases in coal consumption over the next five years, with reductions taking place in the following five years. At the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, China pledged to strictly limit the increase in domestic coal consumption and increase the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to around 25% by 2030.
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Frequently asked questions
China is the world's largest consumer of energy and coal. In 2020, coal accounted for 56.8% of China's domestic energy generation.
In 2020, coal-powered energy accounted for more than 57% of China's energy consumption.
China has pledged to go carbon-neutral by 2060 and is investing in solar, wind, and nuclear energy. China is also the world's largest investor in clean energy transition, investing $266 billion in 2021.
China emits around one-quarter of the world's greenhouse gases, the largest share of any country. China's cumulative carbon emissions are the largest in the world.
