Greenhouse gas emissions by China

China has the most total annual emissions (area of rectangle) of any nation, and has higher than average per capita emissions.^[1]

Cumulatively over time, emissions from China have caused more economic damage globally than any other nation except the U.S.^[2]

China's greenhouse gas emissions are the largest of any country in the world both in production and consumption terms, and stem mainly from coal burning, including coal power, coal mining,^[3] and blast furnaces producing iron and steel.^[4] When measuring production-based emissions, China emitted over 14 gigatonnes (Gt) CO_2eq of greenhouse gases in 2019,^[5] 27% of the world total.^[6][7] When measuring in consumption-based terms, which adds emissions associated with imported goods and extracts those associated with exported goods, China accounts for 13 gigatonnes (Gt) or 25% of global emissions.^[8] According to the Carbon Majors Database, Chinese state coal production alone accounts for 14% of historic global emissions.^[9]

As of 2019^[update], the country's greenhouse gas emissions have exceeded the combined emissions of the developed world.^[6][10] However, China's per person emissions have remained considerably lower than those in the developed world.^[8] This corresponds to over 10.1 tonnes CO_2eq emitted per person each year, slightly over the world average and the EU average but significantly lower than the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases, the United States, with its 17.6 tonnes per person.^[8] Accounting for historic emissions, OECD countries produced four times more CO2 in cumulative emissions than China, due to developed countries' early start in industrialization.^[6][8] Overall, China is a net exporter of greenhouse emissions.^[11]

The targets laid out in China's nationally determined contribution in 2016 will likely be met, but are not enough to properly combat global warming.^[12] China has committed to peak emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2060.^[13] In order to limit warming to 1.5 degrees C coal plants in China without carbon capture must be phased out by 2045.^[14] China continues to build coal-fired power stations in 2020 and promised to "phase down" coal use from 2026.^[15] According to various analysis, China is estimated to overachieve its renewable energy capacity and emission reduction goals early, but long-term plans are still required to combat the global climate change and meeting the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets.^[16][17][18]

In 2024, China recorded a 3% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions compared to the previous year. This development suggests that emissions might have peaked sooner than the 2030 target initially set. The reduction was largely attributed to an expansion in wind and solar power capacities, which largely covered the increased demand for electricity, coupled with a downturn in the property sector that resulted in lower emissions from industries like steel and cement manufacturing. However, several challenges remain, including the technical difficulties of integrating solar energy into the existing power grid and a continued dependence on coal, which experienced a 2% increase in use in 2023.^[19]