In late July, the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee placed carbon emissions high on its agenda amid a worsening global climate crisis marked by extreme weather events. According to a statement released after the meeting, the Political Bureau called for the accelerated rollout of a national action plan to achieve the country’s goal of peaking carbon dioxide emissions before 2030.
Presided over by President Xi Jinping, who also serves as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, the meeting outlined key economic policy directions for the second half of the year. China is pressing ahead to meet its climate targets, which also include achieving carbon neutrality before 2060.
Fu Sha, Program Director of the Low Carbon Economic Growth Program at Energy Foundation China, noted that many regions have included hydrogen energy development in their 14th Five-Year Plans (2021–2025). “Each region should advance carbon reduction based on its own conditions,” she emphasized, adding that measures should be introduced in a coordinated and region-specific manner. Beyond infrastructure, supportive policies and institutional frameworks are also essential to foster the growth of new energy and low-carbon industries.
Lin Boqiang, Director of the China Institute for Studies in Energy Policy at Xiamen University, pointed out that only after new energy infrastructure is in place can the country significantly reduce its reliance on coal and other fossil fuels, which currently account for about 85% of China’s energy mix. The steel, cement, and nonferrous metal industries are among the highest consumers of energy and emitters of carbon, collectively using 21.5% of the nation’s electricity.
Curbing emissions in these key sectors will help reduce China’s dependence on energy-intensive economic growth and steer the country toward high-quality, sustainable development.
