Overview

• China's cumulative wind and solar capacity reached 1.482 terawatts in Q1 2025, surpassing its coal-fired thermal capacity of 1.451 terawatts for the first time.
• The country added a record 357 gigawatts of wind and solar in 2024 and 74.33 gigawatts in the first quarter of 2025, achieving its 2030 renewable energy target nearly six years early.
• Despite renewable progress, China began construction on 94.5 gigawatts of coal power in 2024, accounting for 93% of global coal plant construction that year.
• China's coal production increased from 3.9 billion tons in 2020 to 4.8 billion tons in 2024, highlighting the ongoing balance between energy security and decarbonization goals.
• President Xi Jinping reaffirmed China's climate commitments, pledging to announce updated emissions reduction targets before COP30 in November.