China's clean energy surge reshapes the world's climate future

Is China on its way to becoming the world's first "electrostate"? What once sounded like an abstract concept is becoming a measurable reality. Across solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles, batteries, and high-speed rail, China now leads the world not only in production capacity, but also in the speed and scale of utilization. The transformation of its energy system is no longer incremental — it is structural.

A power system rewired

In 2025, China's electricity consumption surpassed 10 trillion kilowatt-hours — more than twice that of the United States and exceeding the combined total of the European Union, Russia, India, and Japan. Nearly two-fifths of this electricity came from clean and renewable sources. In term of installed capacity, renewables now account for over 50 percent of China's total. Each year, China contributes more than half of the world's newly added renewable capacity.

Beijing's official target remains to peak carbon emissions by 2030 and to reach carbon neutrality by 2060. Early signals suggest the transition is gathering momentum. According to Carbon Brief, a UK-based climate research organization, China's emissions have remained flat or declined for over 20 consecutive months beginning in March 2024.

At the core of China's approach is the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets". In practical terms, this means pursuing two objectives simultaneously: expanding ecosystems and green space, while cutting emissions through clean energy and low-carbon technologies. The intention is not to trade growth for environmental protection, but to reshape growth so it operates within ecological limits.

Over the past decade, China has built the world's largest and most comprehensive clean-energy supply chain. This shift has strengthened energy security and reduced reliance on imported fossil fuels. An integrated ecosystem now links renewable generation, smart grids, battery production, and charging infrastructure. In 2025, new energy vehicles accounted for more than 50 percent of new car sales in China, and, for the first time, conventional fuel vehicles became the minority in the world's largest auto market. The rapid expansion of electric vehicles alone is projected to cut China's demand for refined oil by around 20 million tons annually, according to a Chinese oil company executive.

The "invisible hand" and the "visible hand"

The energy transition is a marathon rather than a sprint. China often describes its method as combining an effective market with proactive government — aligning the "invisible hand" of competition with the "visible hand" of policy direction.

Increasingly, the transition centers on three interconnected goals: sustainability, affordability, and security. It is no longer simply about replacing coal with wind or solar power; it involves redesigning the entire system — how electricity is generated, transmitted, stored, and consumed. Smarter grids, advanced storage, and rapid-response mechanisms are being deployed to create a more flexible and resilient power network capable of managing volatility and systemic risk.

Technology, especially artificial intelligence, is becoming central to this transformation. AI is used to optimize grid operations, balance electricity demand, and improve efficiency across production and distribution. At the same time, expanding clean-energy capacity helps meet the growing power needs of AI systems. Green power and digital intelligence increasingly reinforce one another: smarter systems reduce waste, and cleaner electricity powers smarter systems.

China is pursuing a two-track strategy to manage AI's own energy footprint. At the software level, engineers seek more efficient algorithms. The DeepSeek model, for example, reportedly activates about 37 billion parameters during operation, compared with approximately 1.8 trillion in some large Western models. Studies suggest such architectural efficiency could significantly reduce energy consumption. At the hardware level, researchers are redesigning AI chips to deliver more output per unit of energy. A photonic AI chip developed at Shanghai Jiao Tong University has demonstrated — under laboratory conditions — performance up to at least 100 times greater than NVIDIA's A100 in both speed and energy efficiency.

Global impact and shared responsibility

Climate change extends beyond technology; it is also a political and moral question. Major coastal cities such as New York and Shanghai face mounting sea-level risks. Carbon Brief data shows that by the end of 2024, developed countries — about one-fifth of all nations — accounted for 52 percent of historical carbon emissions. On a per-capita basis, disparities are even greater. This context underpins China's emphasis on "common but differentiated responsibilities", embedded in the UN climate framework and reaffirmed in the Paris Agreement.

While some developed countries have sent mixed signals on climate commitments in recent years, global cooperation remains indispensable. China's domestic transition increasingly generates international spillovers. It exports solar and wind power products to more than 200 countries and regions, providing over 80 percent of the world's photovoltaic module equipment and more than two-thirds of its wind power equipment, helping to reduce global carbon emissions by approximately 4.1 billion tons.

Simultaneously, this has driven down global costs for solar and wind power generation by 80 percent and 60 percent, respectively, making renewable energy more accessible to developing countries.

Beyond exports, China is expanding bilateral and multilateral clean-energy cooperation across ASEAN, Central Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa — focusing on infrastructure, supply chains, and grid connectivity. Many projects are already operational and delivering tangible results. Climate engagement also reaches the individual level: hundreds of millions of citizens participate in digital platforms where low-carbon behaviors generate points that finance tree planting. As of early 2026, more than 619 million trees have reportedly been planted in desert regions through such initiatives.

The global energy transition is accelerating. Whether China ultimately becomes the first "electrostate" remains an open question. What is no longer in doubt is that decarbonization at a national scale is possible, and that its ripple effects extend far beyond borders. In that sense, China's energy transformation is not only a domestic restructuring, but part of a broader redefinition of how the world may power its future.

The author is an observer of international affairs.

The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

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