IRENA Presents Plan for China to Reach Carbon Neutrality through Renewables

As part of the strategic partnership with China, IRENA has launched a 13-Point Plan for the world’s biggest producer and consumer of energy in support of the country’s climate commitments. China aims for its carbon emissions to peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.

While China’s scale, and the need to balance economic development with emission reductions, present significant challenges to its energy transition, IRENAs’ new report China's route to carbon neutrality: Perspectives and the role of renewables offers tailored recommendations to meet national targets through a decarbonised energy system powered by renewables.

Substantial analysis and coordinated effort will be needed over the next 40 years to set the enabling conditions in place for China’s new energy system. Drawing on IRENA’s existing, technology-focused studies, the new report offers key insights from global experiences relevant to China’s energy transition and identifies priority actions together with 13 concrete recommendations. Recommendations include, maintaining energy efficient improvements, reforming power networks, and increasing the electrification in end-use sectors, among others.

“China is the world’s largest market for renewables and its energy transition has profound global implications. IRENA’s new report on the country outlines the challenges and underscores the importance of keeping the transition on course both nationally and globally,” said Dolf Gielen, Director of IRENA’s Innovation and Technology Centre in Bonn, Germany.

Closer collaboration between IRENA and relevant Chinese institutions, and discussions with Chinese policy makers, will help maximise the value of that work for China and the world. It will facilitate knowledge exchange between China and the rest of the world, prompt related discussions and inform the further work needed to chart China’s path to carbon neutrality by 2060.

Read China's route to carbon neutrality: Perspectives and the role of renewables.