China boasts world's largest renewable energy system

Energy investment is projected to reach $940bn in 2026

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China has built the world’s largest and fastest-growing renewable energy system, the China Global Television Network (CGTN) reports.

It cited a report released by the China Enterprise Reform and Development Society (CERDS), which found that fossil fuel-related activities remained the largest source of global carbon emissions.

According to CGTN, global energy-related CO2 emissions rose 0.4 per cent year-on-year to 38.4 billion tonnes in 2025, marking the smallest annual increase since 2021.

A cargo ship docked to load large wind power equipment in Lianyungang, East China's Jiangsu Province for export to Türkiye, October 21, 2026. /VCG. — A cargo ship docked to load large wind power equipment in Lianyungang, East China’s Jiangsu Province for export to Türkiye, October 21, 2026. /VCG.

The news medium added that China’s energy-related carbon emissions fell by 0.5 per cent, while those of the United States rose by 2.4 per cent, making the United States the largest contributor to the global increase.

“Coal-fired power generation accounted for 49.7 per cent of China’s total electricity generation in the first half of 2026, falling below 50 per cent for the first time,” CGTN stated.

A view of a large-scale solar power base in the desert in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, September 14, 2025. /VCG. — A view of a large-scale solar power base in the desert in North China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, September 14, 2025. /VCG.

The President of CERDS, Peng Huagang, said coal power is gradually shifting from a dominant source of electricity to a supporting source that ensures power supply security and provides flexibility to the grid.

“By the end of 2025, global installed renewable energy capacity had reached 5,149 gigawatts, up 15.5 per cent year-on-year. Renewables accounted for 33.8 per cent of global electricity generation, surpassing coal’s 33.0 per cent share for the first time in a century. In China, installed renewable energy capacity stood at 2.337 billion kilowatts at the end of 2025, accounting for 60.1 per cent of the country’s total installed power generation capacity. China also contributed 63.6 per cent of global additions to renewable energy capacity.

Wind turbines spin in the mountains in Yuexi County, East China's Anhui Province, September 5, 2026. /VCG. — Wind turbines spin in the mountains in Yuexi County, East China’s Anhui Province, September 5, 2026. /VCG.

“China’s energy investment is projected to reach $940 billion in 2026, the highest in the world.

“The report also highlighted China’s leading role in renewable energy technologies. China supplies 70 per cent of the world’s wind power equipment and 80 per cent of its solar photovoltaic (PV) modules, helping drive down global wind and solar power generation costs by more than 60 per cent and 80 per cent, respectively,” CGTN explained.