Expansion of renewables in China
Study: CO2 emissions in China decline for the first time since Corona
28.05.2024, 10:10 a.m.
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China can only cover 15 percent of its electricity needs with renewable energies. However, due to increased e-car production and the massive expansion of solar and wind farms, the country has seen a slight reduction in its CO2 emissions.
According to a study, the Chinese economy’s CO2 emissions fell in March for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic. An analysis by the Finnish research group Centre for Research on Energy and Clean According to Air, China’s CO2 emissions may have peaked last year and are now declining. Even when the sharp decline in construction output in March was taken into account, the main cause was the massive expansion of renewable energies, the researchers explained.
Emissions fell by three percent compared to the same month last year, as study author Lauri Myllyvirta explained, referring to the analysis of official data. Over the first quarter, emissions were higher than in the previous year. However, this is mainly due to the fact that the comparable months of January and February 2022 were still characterized by weak economic activity as a result of the corona pandemic.
March is “the first month to provide a clear indication of post-pandemic recovery emissions trends,” the study says. Although the data are only monthly, they are in line with projections from last year and reveal important trends.
40 percent more wind and solar plants built
In the energy sector, the entire increase in demand in China was covered by the expansion of renewable energies. Despite rising energy consumption, CO2 emissions have remained stable, the researchers explained. The proportion of electric cars is increasing rapidly, which is causing oil demand to fall.
The crisis in the Chinese construction industry is also clearly reflected in the decline in emissions, wrote Myllyvirta. CO2 emissions in the steel industry fell by eight percent, and in cement production by as much as 22 percent.
In terms of renewable energies, however, Myllyvirta found a 40 percent increase in solar and wind power plants. A large part of this renewable capacity is therefore accounted for by small solar power plants, which are becoming increasingly important in China. However, grid expansion is increasingly causing problems. Wind and solar energy still only account for 15 percent of Chinese electricity generation.