China has reached a milestone that climate scientists have long been waiting for. China’s emissions from energy and industry fell slightly last year after a solar boom helped meet a larger share of growing power demand. Official data showed a 0.3% decline in emissions from energy and industry during 2025, against a backdrop of a 3.5% rise in total energy consumption.
Solar power has been the primary driver. The share of all clean power generation in 2025 reached 40%, rising from 37% the year before, driven mainly by solar, which overtook wind generation for the first time. The data lays the ground for Beijing’s continued support for renewables and clean tech industries.
Researchers caution against reading too much into a single year. Carbon Brief found that China’s carbon emissions have been either flat or falling for nearly two years, raising the prospect that the country may have finally passed peak emissions ahead of its 2030 target. An ongoing slump in construction has also led to a decline in cement production, further reducing emissions.
The development has global implications. If China has genuinely turned a structural corner on emissions, it would represent one of the most significant shifts in the fight against climate change in decades.
