China Must Reduce Emissions by 30% by 2035 According to CREA

A report from the Centre de recherche sur l'énergie et l'air pur (CREA) demands that China decrease its emissions by at least 30% by 2035 to comply with the commitments of the Paris Agreement on climate.

Partagez:

China must set a “strong but achievable” goal to reduce emissions by at least 30% by 2035, according to a report published by the Centre de recherche sur l’énergie et l’air pur (CREA), a think tank based in Helsinki. Other signatory countries of the Paris Agreement on climate have until February 2025 to update their “nationally determined contributions” (NDCs), which describe their plans to reduce CO₂.

Emission Reduction Targets for China

CREA estimates that China can achieve this goal by maintaining its investments in renewable energy and limiting electricity demand. Currently, the country has committed to stabilizing its carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.

China’s Current Strategies and Commitments

In order to meet the commitments made during COP21 in Paris in 2015, Beijing must reduce its emissions related to the electricity sector by at least 30% by 2035, the think tank estimates. It must also reduce emissions from the industry by a quarter and set an objective to reduce emissions other than CO₂ by more than 35%, according to this source.

The Challenges of Reducing Industrial Emissions

The country is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, due to its population of 1.4 billion inhabitants and its status as a manufacturing country with numerous factories. Its upcoming commitments will be closely monitored by the international community.

China’s Global Position on Emissions

The goal of reducing the country’s total emissions by 30% in a decade is achievable according to CREA, which highlights China’s recent trajectory towards decarbonization. The report indicates that current trends in deploying clean energy are favorable for achieving this goal.

Decarbonization Trajectory and Feasibility of Goals

“This is an ambitious goal, as it requires significant emission reductions across all major sectors,” acknowledges Belinda Schaepe, one of the main authors of the report. However, she notes that this goal is achievable if investments in renewable energy continue.

Investments in Renewable Energy and Electric Vehicles

CREA highlights the country’s massive investments in renewable energy, large-scale deployment of hybrid and electric vehicles, and reduction of industrial emissions. These efforts contribute to China’s decarbonization trajectory.

The Role of the Chinese Electricity Council in the Energy Transition

The Chinese Electricity Council (CEC), bringing together professionals in the sector, emphasized that non-fossil energies now represent 40% of the country’s electricity consumption. Their production had increased by nearly 80% compared to 2021.

Experts’ Perspectives and Criticisms on Emission Reduction Goals

“The country is making ‘many significant progress in almost all sectors’,” notes Teng Fei from the Energy Institute of Tsinghua University in Beijing. However, he considers that the measures recommended by the report seem “too ambitious to be achievable.”

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.