One of the most common objections I hear to climate action is: “But what about China?”
The person making this argument usually goes on to claim that China is doing nothing, while everyone else is making sacrifices. But that’s not what the data show.
Here’s the reality:
* As the U.S. doubles down on fossil fuels and blocks new wind and solar projects, its emissions are ticking up.
* In contrast, China’s emissions appear to have peaked — and may now be starting to decline.
* Last year, China installed a full half of all the world's new wind and solar energy.
* Over the past two years, China installed more new solar power each year than the U.S. has installed in total across its entire history.
* China's clean exports alone are cutting CO2 outside its borders by 1% year on year.
Of course no country can fix climate change on its own. But just as it's a global problem, progress in one place helps everyone.
carbonbrief.org/analysis-china…
Analysis: China’s CO2 emissions have now been ‘flat or falling’ for 21 months - Carbon Brief
China’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions fell by 1% in the final quarter of 2025, likely securing a decline of 0.3% for the full year as a whole.Lauri Myllyvirta (Carbon Brief)
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mantis
in reply to Dr. Katharine Hayhoe • • •Space Wrangler
in reply to Dr. Katharine Hayhoe • • •A key factor here is that the Chinese public is fed up with pollution. It hurts the legitimacy of the government.
The country may not be a democracy, but public opinion still matters. In mega-cities like Beijing the issue has become something the regime simply cannot ignore.
bk
in reply to Dr. Katharine Hayhoe • • •contrasocial
in reply to Dr. Katharine Hayhoe • • •It's a lie that China's emissions have peaked. Their annual emissions are a vertical line. How are people suppose to take this argument seriously? Their coal production has outpaced even that of the US.
It's pure wishcasting by people who want there to be a "good guy" who will save us.
ourworldindata.org/co2-emissio…
CO₂ emissions
Hannah Ritchie (Our World in Data)oheso
in reply to Dr. Katharine Hayhoe • • •a1
in reply to Dr. Katharine Hayhoe • • •all lights fucked on the hairy space station
in reply to Dr. Katharine Hayhoe • • •ralocycleuse
in reply to Dr. Katharine Hayhoe • • •