{
  "id": 18406036,
  "title": "Analysis: China’s quarterly CO2 falls 3% in largest drop since Covid",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/analysis-chinas-quarterly-co2-falls-3-in-largest-drop-since-covid",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-11-06T00:01:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Carbon Brief",
    "slug": "carbon-brief",
    "url": "https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-chinas-quarterly-co2-falls-3-in-largest-drop-since-covid"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "China's CO2 emissions decreased by 3.1% in the third quarter of 2026, marking the largest quarterly reduction since the 2022 COVID lockdowns. This decline, estimated at 0.5% year-to-date, is largely attributed to a 3% drop in coal usage and a 4% reduction in oil consumption. The main contributors to this trend include a significant decline in power-sector coal consumption, a sharp reduction in transport oil consumption, and slowing growth in the coal-to-chemical industry. Over the past two years, China has experienced a \"flat or falling\" trend in CO2 emissions, as illustrated in the provided analysis. The outlook for China's CO2 emissions hinges on the interplay between rising energy demand, clean-energy growth, and the government's response to GDP slowdown. The decline in CO2 emissions can be attributed to various factors, including a 3.3% drop in coal-power generation, a 110 terawatt-hour (TWh) year-on-year increase in clean-power generation (primarily from solar, wind, and nuclear), and a 9% decline in transport oil consumption. Additionally, the coal-to-chemical industry's growth has been slowing due to high coal prices, higher output prices, and reduced construction volumes. Despite ongoing new coal-power capacity development, average running hours for coal plants are falling, resulting in lower profits for the sector. The balance between rising energy demand, clean-energy growth, and government policies will play a crucial role in shaping China's CO2 emissions trajectory in the coming years.",
  "summary": "China’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions fell by 3.1% in the third quarter of 2026, as the Hormuz crisis continued to… The post Analysis: China’s quarterly CO2 falls 3% in largest drop since Covid appeared first on Carbon Brief .",
  "key_points": [
    "China's CO2 emissions decreased by 3.1% in Q3 2026, largest drop since 2022 Covid lockdowns",
    "Decline attributed to 3% drop in coal usage and 4% reduction in oil consumption"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "China sees fastest emissions drop since Covid due to Middle East war",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/china-sees-fastest-emissions-drop-since-covid-due-to-middle-east-war",
        "published": "2026-11-06T00:29:25.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}