China, a good student of decarbonization? In a study published on the specialized site Carbon Brief, the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) indicates that its carbon dioxide emissions fell by 3% in March 2024 compared to the ‘last year. This is the first time that they have decreased in more than a year, since the country lifted its anti-Covid restrictions in December 2022. This trend, if confirmed, would indicate that the country which emits the most CO2 in the atmosphere would have passed its peak emissions.
This is therefore the end of a series of 14 consecutive months during which Chinese greenhouse gas emissions continued to increase, a rebound caused by the lifting of the zero Covid policy. The 3% drop was recorded in March 2024, despite an ever-increasing demand for electricity almost entirely met by the means of renewable production massively installed by Beijing.
The growing adoption of electric vehicles in China – 10% of cars on the road according to seller data – continues to weigh on oil demand. If the demand for electricity has increased, in particular due to the purchase of air conditioners, almost 90% of the additional demand in March was covered by renewable energy sources, underlines the analysis of researcher Lauri Myllyvirta (Center research on energy and clean air). Despite growth in capacity, wind and solar power still represent only 15% of electricity production in China, and authorities are working to better integrate these sources into the grid.
However, China’s emissions trajectory remains uncertain, with experts disagreeing on whether the installation of renewable energy capacity will increase or slow down in the future. Government targets for economic growth also suggest that Beijing could still see an increase in emissions, the study found.
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