BEIJING: China missed a key climate target in 2024 and emissions in the world’s second-largest economy continued to rise as coal remained dominant despite record renewable additions, official data showed on Friday (Feb 28).
Beijing’s National Bureau of Statistics said carbon intensity, which measures carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP, fell 3.4 percent in 2024 – short of an official goal of 3.9 per cent.
That also put the country well behind its goal of an 18 per cent reduction from 2020 to 2025.
The data also showed total carbon emissions continued to increase in 2024.
Muyi Yang, senior energy analyst for Asia at think tank Ember, said growth in China’s carbon-hungry industrial sector was holding back progress towards its climate goals.
“Rapid industrial growth has driven energy demand to increase at a pace that outstrips the buildup of clean energy infrastructure”, he told AFP.
Reforms like increasing flexibility in the energy market and adding clean energy infrastructure are needed to ensure industrial output growth “doesn’t come at the expense of a sustainable energy future”, he added.
Under the Paris Climate Agreement, countries submit action plans every five years detailing how they will contribute to meeting global temperature goals by 2035.
According to its pledges, China must reduce its carbon intensity by 65 per cent of 2005 levels by 2030.
