China's emissions reductions could be the biggest climate story of the year

The more Beijing relies on renewables, the more demand for fossil fuels increases

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 wind turbines

Electricity supply from new wind, solar and nuclear power is increasing. A car drives near wind turbines on a power station near Yumen, Gansu province, China. © Reuters

Tim Daiss has been an energy markets, sustainability and geopolitical journalist and analyst in the Asia-Pacific region for the past 15 years.

First, the good news. Mostly due to clean energy production, China's total CO2 emissions have decreased, dropping 1.6% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025 and by 1% over the last 12 months, according to a recently released Carbon Brief report. Emissions from the power sector also fell 2% year-on-year in the 12 months to March 2025. Better yet, the emissions drops came as the country's electricity demand increased.

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