Growth in CO2 emissions leaves China likely to miss climate targets

Much of China’s recent energy generation growth has come from coal-burning plants, such as Guohua power station in Dingzhou (pictured). Photograph: Ng Han Guan/AP

China is off track on all of its core 2025 climate targets, despite the fact that clean energy is now the biggest driver of the country’s economic growth, analysis has found.

After years of extraordinarily rapid growth, China is now grappling with a slowdown that is causing ripples internally and internationally. The government has supercharged the growth of the renewable energy industry but it has simultaneously poured stimulus funds into construction and manufacturing, and continues to approve coal power.