China's Fossil Fuel Emissions Fall as Solar Surges
Mar 7th 2026
Official data show China’s energy and industry emissions fell 0.3 percent in 2025 even as energy use rose 3.5 percent, driven by a rapid expansion of solar that helped renewables supply 40 percent of the country’s power and pushed coal generation slightly down.
- Energy and industry emissions fell 0.3 percent in 2025 while energy consumption rose 3.5 percent, according to official statistics.
- Renewables supplied 40 percent of China’s electricity in 2025, up from 37 percent the year before, with solar accounting for most of the growth.
- Coal generation declined slightly as added renewable power more than met the rise in demand.
- China is retrofitting coal plants to operate as flexible peaker units to complement wind and solar.
- A construction slump reduced cement production, which also helped push down emissions.
- Carbon Brief analysis indicates China’s emissions have been flat or falling for nearly two years, suggesting it may have passed peak emissions.
- In the U.S., utilities generated a record amount of clean energy last year and 93 percent of new power capacity this year is expected to come from wind, solar, and batteries, per a government estimate.