China will accelerate the transition to green energy and increase the share of renewable energy sources (RES) in electricity generation to 33 percent by 2025, compared to 28 percent in 2020, Reuters reported, addressing the new five-year plan of the Chinese authorities to develop the sector.
By 2025, China’s total green energy consumption will reach approximately one billion tons of coal equivalent. To save the planet from climate change and increased electricity generation, the country aims to increase the share of non-fossil fuels in total energy consumption to 20 percent (up from 15.4 percent in 2020).
Climate activists hoped that Beijing would also impose specific consumption restrictions that should contribute to an overall reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
No official target has yet been set, but renewable energy figures suggest that total primary energy consumption will reach five billion tons of coal equivalent by 2025.
The data also show that renewable sources will account for half of the total increase in energy consumption in 2021-2025. Still, Beijing, due to energy security reasons, reserves the option of building traditional fossil fuel power plants.
China is considered the leader in greenhouse gas emissions, the main cause of global warming.
To reduce the negative impact on the atmosphere, Beijing has also pledged to increase the capacity of solar and wind power plants to 1,200 gigawatts by 2030. Asian countries want to achieve this goal by installing solar panels and wind turbines in unused areas.