China’s greenhouse gas emissions have been in decline since last year but have not yet reached their peak, with the country’s policies still not fully aligned with long-term goals to limit temperature increases.
Helsinki-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) said, ”produces nearly a third of the world’s annual carbon emissions and its success in meeting its climate targets is possibly the single most important factor in the global fight against climate change.”
China is expected to meet its own 2030 peak emissions target with relative ease, but experts worry the overall volume could still rise significantly over the decade as Beijing builds new coal plants and other carbon-intensive infrastructure to address concerns about energy security and economic stability.
This month, an annual report by the Global Carbon Project(GBP) estimated that China’s emissions would fall by 0.9% in 2022, raising hopes that they have already peaked.
However, the decline was attributed to the country’s draconian zero-COVID policies, which severely disrupted the economy and saw the financial centre of Shanghai locked down for more than two months.
