China's Renewables Hit Record High, But Coal Power Persists

China's commitment to renewable energy is accelerating, with a 9% year-on-year increase in renewable electricity generation during the first half of the year. Renewables now constitute 41.2% of the country's total power output, surpassing the 40% milestone for the first time. Installed capacity for wind and solar power saw a significant rise of nearly 17%.

This surge in green energy has led to a historic shift in the energy mix, with coal-fired power generation dropping below 50% for the first time, settling at 49.7%. Xing Yiteng, deputy director of the National Energy Administration's Development and Planning Department, called this a "new breakthrough in China's green and low-carbon energy transformation."

While China is making strides in decarbonization, aiming for a 7-10% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, it continues to invest in coal. The country, responsible for over a quarter of global emissions in 2023, is also expanding its forest resources and electric vehicle fleet as part of its climate strategy.

Annual investments in green technologies have doubled between 2015 and 2024, reaching over $625 billion in 2024. China is a major global producer of solar and wind components. Notably, large-scale solar projects are also helping combat desertification in northern China, with panels retaining moisture and reducing soil temperatures, leading to the return of vegetation and even agricultural cultivation in some areas.

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This is an important result of long-term efforts to replace fossil fuel energy generation with non-fossil energy. We are witnessing a new breakthrough in China's green and low-carbon energy transformation.