China Unveils White Paper on Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality Strategies

Introduction to China's Low-Carbon Vision

Beijing, China – On Saturday, November 8, 2025, China's State Council Information Office officially released a comprehensive white paper titled 'Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality: China's Plans and Solutions'. This significant document details the country's strategies, commitments, and notable achievements in advancing low-carbon development and environmental protection over the past five years. The white paper underscores China's dedication to sustainable growth and its role in global climate governance.

Key Strategies and Ambitious Goals

The white paper reaffirms China's ambitious targets to reach peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. Looking further ahead, China aims to reduce economy-wide net greenhouse gas emissions from peak levels by 7% to 10% by 2035. Other critical objectives include increasing the share of non-fossil fuels to over 30% of total energy consumption by 2035 and expanding installed wind and solar power capacity to more than six times the 2020 level, targeting over 3,600 gigawatts. By 2030, China also plans to lower its carbon dioxide emission per unit of GDP by over 65% from the 2005 level, increase the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to around 25%, and boost forest stock volume by 6 billion cubic meters from the 2005 level.

Significant Progress in Green Transition

The document highlights substantial progress made by China in its green and low-carbon transition. According to the white paper, China has:

• Established the most systematic and comprehensive carbon reduction policy framework globally.
• Built the world's largest and fastest-growing renewable energy system.
• Developed the largest and most complete new energy industrial chain.
• Achieved the world's largest and fastest promotion and adoption of new energy vehicles.
• Contributed approximately one-fourth of the newly added green areas worldwide.
• Ranked among the countries with the fastest decline in energy consumption intensity.

The proportion of non-fossil energy consumption increased from 16.0% in 2020 to 19.8% in 2024. By the end of August 2025, the installed capacity of wind and photovoltaic power had surpassed 1,690 GW, tripling 2020 levels. Furthermore, the proportion of fossil energy consumed dropped from 84.0% in 2020 to 80.2% in 2024, with coal's share in total energy consumption decreasing from 56.7% to 53.2% during the same period.

Commitment to Global Climate Governance

The white paper also emphasizes China's commitment to multilateralism and international cooperation in addressing climate change. China is actively engaged in and leading global climate governance, promoting green development under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The country has established energy partnerships with 34 BRI partner countries and collaborated with over 100 countries and regions on green energy projects. By the end of October 2025, China had signed 55 Memoranda of Understanding on South-South cooperation to address climate change with 43 developing countries and conducted over 300 capacity-building programs. This demonstrates China's dedication to fostering a shared future for humanity in the face of global climate challenges.