Klima: Chinas CO2-Ausstoß laut Analyse deutlich gesunken

Chinas carbon dioxide emissions have sharply decreased, according to a new analysis. The decline in CO2 emissions, estimated to be 3.1% compared to the previous year, marks the largest drop since 2022, reported the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (Crea) on Carbon Brief. Overall, emissions have decreased by 0.5% so far this year.

Crea Chief Analyst Lauri Myllyvirta analyzed official and commercial data, attributing the drop to a 3.3% decline in coal power generation, slower growth in the coal chemical industry, and a significant fall in oil consumption in transportation. This decline is linked to the Hormuz Strait crisis and the increasing share of electric vehicles on the roads.

Emissions from the climate-damaging cement and steel industries have also decreased. The crisis in China's construction sector may be behind these reductions. In the first half of the year, the share of coal-generated electricity fell to below 50% for the first time, according to Crea. This aligns with the ongoing trend since March 2024 of China's CO2 emissions either stagnating or falling.

While China continues to rely on coal and is building new capacities, the decline in coal power generation suggests shorter operating times for power plants on average. China has also reported an increasing share of renewable energy generation, and Myllyvirta believes that the growth of renewable energy generated could outpace the growth of overall energy demand this year, leading to a structural decrease in the use of fossil fuels.

However, this will require removing barriers to connecting wind and solar parks to the power grid to prevent the loss of more green energy. The global CO2 emissions will be a topic at the upcoming World Climate Conference COP31 in Antalya, Turkey, in just a week. As the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, China, being a developing and emerging economy, sees the industrialized nations responsible for climate financing.

China has previously announced that it intends to discuss "old problems" such as insufficient emission reduction efforts by industrialized countries and the lack of financial assistance.