China Confirms 2035 Climate Roadmap With First Emissions Cut Target

Overview

• Beijing formalized an economy‑wide greenhouse‑gas cut of 7–10% by 2035, marking its first numerical reduction target and covering all GHGs, not just CO2.
• The roadmap sets wind and solar capacity at 3,600 GW by 2035, up from about 1,482 GW today, a pace that implies roughly 200 GW of annual additions that China exceeded in 2024.
• Non‑fossil energy is targeted to exceed 30% of total consumption by 2035, and policy aims to make new energy vehicles the mainstream as EVs already approach half of new sales and account for over 70% of global production.
• China will expand its national emissions trading scheme beyond the power sector to heavy industries such as cement, steel and aluminum, and it plans to increase forest stock to 24 billion cubic metres.
• Published ahead of COP30, the roadmap drew praise from UN climate chief Simon Stiell, while analysts note implementation tests remain given coal still supplies nearly 60% of China’s electricity and 2024 emissions were about 15.6 gigatons CO2e.