China cuts electricity emissions to record lows in 2025
Carbon dioxide emissions per kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity averaged 492 grams during the opening half of 2025, according to data from energy portal electricitymaps.com.
That was the first ever reading below 500 grams per kWh, and is down from 514g/kWh during the same period in 2024 and 539g/kWh from January to June 2023.
A nearly 23% rise in clean power generation from January to June 2024 was the main driver behind the reduction in emissions intensity, as higher volumes of clean energy allowed power firms to reduce output from coal and gas power plants.
Total power generation from thermal power plants - mainly coal - dropped by 4% from a year ago to just under 7,000 terawatt hours (TWh), data from LSEG shows.
Output from clean energy sources from January to June totalled 2,400 TWh, highlighting that fossil fuel power sources still account for a 75% share of China's power generation mix.
But the growth of clean energy supplies continues to sharply outpace growth in fossil fuel power generation, suggesting that China's power mix looks set to keep getting cleaner.
Total Chinese clean power output during the first half of 2025 was 200% more than during the first half of 2019, according to LSEG.
In contrast, total Chinese thermal power output from January to June 2025 was 20% greater than during the same period in 2019.
China's power sector emissions from fossil fuel generation have declined in line with the cleaner mix.
Total emissions from fossil fuels used in electricity production from January to May were 2.24 billion metric tons of CO2, according to data from energy think tank Ember.
That total is 60.5 million tons less than during the same months of 2024, and is an indication that some progress is being made against Beijing's goals of reducing energy sector pollution.
However, the enduring economic drag caused by a lingering property downturn as well as the uncertainty surrounding tariffs charged by the United States on Chinese goods is also impacting China's power needs and emissions totals.
The pace of construction in China has slowed sharply so far this decade following a debt crisis among property developers, which in turn has choked off demand for energy-intensive goods such as cement, piping, glass and construction steel.
More recently, the fresh tariffs on Chinese goods set by U.S. President Donald Trump this year have hit demand for China-made products, and slowed production lines across several manufactured items.
Slower activity on construction sites and factory production lines has in turn reduced the overall power needs of both those industries, and allowed power generation firms to cut back on production as a result.
If a recovery unfolds in the construction and manufacturing sectors going forward, China's overall power needs will increase in tow, and will likely spur a rebound in generation from pollution-emitting fossil fuels.
But if China's economy remains chilled by construction debt and tariff worries, the country's use of fossil fuels will remain subdued, which could set the stage for further reductions in power sector emissions.
The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters.
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