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Clean Energy
Business Honor
26 August, 2024
China reaches renewable energy target six years ahead of schedule but remains the top global polluter, surpassing the U.S. by more than double.
China has achieved a major clean energy milestone, surpassing its 2020 goal of 1,200 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy resources by 2030, six years ahead of schedule. The National Energy Administration announced on August 23, 2024, that the country added 25 GW of wind and solar capacity in July, pushing its total clean energy capacity to 1,206 GW.
Despite this achievement, China remains the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide (CO2). The 2024 Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy reveals that China released a record 11.2 billion tons of CO2 in 2023, a staggering 642 million ton increase from the previous year. This positions China as the leading global polluter, far exceeding the United States, which emitted 4.64 billion tons of CO2 last year.
China's rapid expansion of clean energy infrastructure, including nearly doubling solar installations and significantly increasing wind and energy storage capacities, has not yet translated into a proportional reduction in overall pollution. Solar and wind energy contribute only 14% to China's total energy mix in 2024, while fossil fuels still dominate, though they now account for less than half of the nation’s energy generation.
The Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) highlights that while particulate pollution has decreased since China’s “war against pollution” began in 2014, the country still faces severe air quality issues. Beijing’s pollution levels are notably higher than the most polluted regions in the U.S., with 99.9% of China's population living in areas with air quality that exceeds WHO guidelines.