China leads Asia in renewable energies

China dominates renewable capacity additions in Asia, but other countries need to step up their efforts to meet 2030 climate targets.
transition énergétique asie énergies renouvelables charbon

Partagez:

China has installed almost 350 gigawatts (GW) of new renewable capacity by 2023, more than half of the global total, according to a new report by theInternational Energy Agency (IEA). If it maintains this pace, China will probably exceed its 2030 target as early as this year. However, if climate targets are to be met, other Asian countries will need to accelerate the deployment of renewable energies.

China, Asia’s undisputed leader in renewable energies

China’s official target is to have 1,200GW of installed wind and solar capacity by 2030. But by April of this year, it had already reached 1,130GW. According to the IEA, modeling based on China’s decarbonization ambitions yields an “estimated ambition trajectory for 2030” of over 3,000GW of renewables, including hydropower. This represents a doubling of current installed capacity and means that China will remain a leader in the deployment of renewables.

Growth opportunities for other Asian countries

But the IEA stresses that the main opportunities lie elsewhere in Asia, especially as many countries in the region are in the early stages of their transition to renewable energies. Outside China, the Asia-Pacific region is forecasting nearly 1,200GW of renewables by 2030, roughly double current levels. India leads the way with 500GW of non-fossil fuel capacity planned by 2030, the majority of which is solar 293GW and wind 100GW. The countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have ambitions for 225GW of new renewable energies by 2030, led by Vietnam with 84GW, Indonesia with 44GW and the Philippines with 30GW.

Potential still largely untapped in many countries

However, the IEA report shows that there is considerable scope for more aggressive deployment of renewables, given that the share of variable renewables in total electricity generation remains below 10% in 15 of the 18 Asia-Pacific countries analyzed.
Low-cost photovoltaics and wind power can rapidly deliver numerous economic benefits by reducing the overall cost of electricity supply, cutting dependence on imported fuels and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Nevertheless, despite these advantages, 12 of the 15 countries with a low share of variable renewables plan to increase their renewable capacity by a factor of less than three by 2030, and seven countries by a factor of less than two, leaving significant untapped potential.
Part of the problem is that many Asian countries have an overcapacity of fossil fuel power plants, some of which were built recently, meaning that they will have to run for many years to pay back the capital invested. For renewables to claim a greater share of electricity generation in Asia, it is likely that some form of government intervention and policy changes will be required to facilitate the exit of fossil fuel power plants from the energy mix.
Establishing the right policy framework is one of the main challenges in many Asian countries, as governments tend to prioritize energy security, availability and cost over the amount of carbon emissions. Moving coal is also extremely difficult, especially when just three Asian countries – China, India and Indonesia – are responsible for almost 75% of the world’s total coal burned. Huge domestic coal reserves, large populations and ambitious economic growth targets are also common to these three Asian countries, factors which make coal replacement even more difficult.
China has clearly taken the lead in the deployment of renewable energies in Asia. But other countries in the region will have to step up their efforts if they are to achieve their climate targets. Although there is enormous potential, major challenges remain, particularly in terms of energy policy and dependence on coal. Overcoming these obstacles will be key to enabling a faster transition to clean energy in Asia.

According to the 2025 report on global energy access, despite notable progress in renewable energy, insufficient targeted financing continues to hinder electricity and clean cooking access, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
While advanced economies maintain global energy leadership, China and the United States have significantly progressed in the security and sustainability of their energy systems, according to the World Economic Forum's annual report.
On the sidelines of the US–Africa summit in Luanda, Algiers and Luanda consolidate their energy collaboration to better exploit their oil, gas, and mining potential, targeting a common strategy in regional and international markets.
The UK's Climate Change Committee is urging the government to quickly reduce electricity costs to facilitate the adoption of heat pumps and electric vehicles, judged too slow to achieve the set climate targets.
The European Commission will extend until the end of 2030 an expanded state-aid framework, allowing capitals to fund low-carbon technologies and nuclear power to preserve competitiveness against China and the United States.
Japan's grid operator forecasts an energy shortfall of up to 89 GW by 2050 due to rising demand from semiconductor manufacturing, electric vehicles, and artificial intelligence technologies.
Energy-intensive European industries will be eligible for temporary state aid to mitigate high electricity prices, according to a new regulatory framework proposed by the European Commission under the "Clean Industrial Deal."
Mauritius seeks international investors to swiftly build a floating power plant of around 100 MW, aiming to secure the national energy supply by January 2026 and address current production shortfalls.
Madrid announces immediate energy storage measures while Lisbon secures its electrical grid, responding to the historic outage that affected the entire Iberian Peninsula in late April.
Indonesia has unveiled its new national energy plan, projecting an increase of 69.5 GW in electricity capacity over ten years, largely funded by independent producers, to address rapidly rising domestic demand.
French Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher condemns the parliamentary moratorium on new renewable energy installations, warning of the potential loss of 150,000 industrial jobs and increased energy dependence on foreign countries.
The European battery regulation, fully effective from August 18, significantly alters industrial requirements related to electric cars and bicycles, imposing strict rules on recycling, supply chains, and transparency for companies.
The European Parliament calls on the Commission to strengthen energy infrastructure and accelerate the implementation of the Clean Industrial Deal to enhance the continent's energy flexibility and security amid increased market volatility.
The European Commission unveils an ambitious plan to modernize electricity grids and introduces the Clean Industrial Deal, mobilizing hundreds of billions of euros to strengthen the continent's industrial and energy autonomy.
In the United States, regulated electric grid operators hold a decisive advantage in connecting new data centres to the grid, now representing 134 GW of projects, according to a Wood Mackenzie report published on June 19.
The French National Assembly approves a specific target of 200 TWh renewable electricity production by 2030 within a legislative text extensively debated about the future national energy mix.
In 2024, US CO₂ emissions remain stable at 5.1bn tonnes, as the Trump administration prepares hydrocarbon-friendly energy policies, raising questions about the future evolution of the American market.
The early publication of France's energy decree triggers strong parliamentary reactions, as the government aims to rapidly secure investments in nuclear and other energy sectors.
Seven weeks after the major Iberian power outage, Spain identifies technical network failures, while the European Investment Bank approves major funding to strengthen the interconnection with France.
The European Union has announced a detailed schedule aiming to definitively halt Russian gas imports by the end of 2027, anticipating internal legal and commercial challenges to overcome.