Carbon Brief

Stories

China's carbon emissions fall 3.1% as clean power outpaces demand

Published the CREA guest analysis

China's carbon dioxide emissions fell 3.1% in the third quarter of 2026 from a year earlier, the largest quarterly drop since the 2022 Covid lockdowns. Coal-fired power generation fell 3.3% and transport oil use fell 9%.

Updated 1 hour ago

China's emissions enter sustained decline

Built World

As of May 2026: Primary publisher of China emissions analyses

China's CO2 emissions fell 1% in the first half of 2025, extending an 18-month plateau that began in March 2024. For the first time, clean power generation—not economic slowdown—has driven emissions down in the world's largest polluter. The peak may finally be structural rather than cyclical.

Updated May 19