China's CO2 Emissions Might Have Finally Peaked

"China's carbon dioxide emissions have plateaued in 2025, indicating the country may have reached a peak after years of being the world's top emitter. The plateau reflects how China's record-setting build-out of wind and solar power and rapid expansion into electric vehicles has tempered fossil-fuel emissions, according to the nonprofit Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air. China accounts for around one third of all global greenhouse gas emissions, although historically the U.S. has emitted more carbon."

"Russia, the U.S. and the European Union long ago used up their carbon budget that would allow the world to meet the Paris Agreement goal of keeping global warming below 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. China's swift industrial growthand its burning of coalmeans that it is now close to using up its own budget, too. China has become a world leader in renewable energy, but it is also still adding coal-fired power plants to meet growing power demand."

China's carbon dioxide emissions plateaued in 2025, suggesting the country may have reached a peak after years as the world's top emitter. Record-setting build-out of wind and solar and rapid electric vehicle adoption have tempered fossil-fuel emissions. China produces about one third of global greenhouse gas emissions, and its rapid industrial growth and ongoing coal burning have nearly exhausted its carbon budget aligned with the Paris Agreement. Russia, the U.S., and the EU already used up their carbon budgets. Continued additions of coal-fired plants make post-peak reductions challenging and risk higher global temperatures.

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