COP-31: China Leading Fight Against Climate Change

Over the years, China has established its credentials as a global leader in the fight against climate change.  It has earned this status due to hard work, target-oriented actions, and building cooperation worldwide. China devised a sophisticated framework to achieve both objectives and deployed objective-oriented actions. China is applying a model that helps it act on climate change without compromising economic growth. China is implementing the framework and model without any ifs and buts.

China began by focusing on the energy sector. China launched a comprehensive campaign to transition from fossil fuels to green energy. It was a huge task, as China’s energy needs were rising. However, China continued to invest and shift energy from fossil fuels to renewable energy. These efforts produced remarkable progress, and the renewable energy share grew to 60% in 2025. The data show that total installed solar and wind capacity reached 1800 GW in 2025. Moreover, electricity generation from renewable sources (4 billion KWH) was almost 1.7 times the total installed capacity of the EU and the USA. It also accounts for almost 30% of the global total installed capacity.

China is also using the green transition as a source to bring development and prosperity to less developed areas of China. For example, China is placing special focus on Xinjiang in the green transition and has invested heavily to build renewable infrastructure. The data shows a total installed solar capacity of around 55 GW and around 30 GW of wind energy. In 2025, Xinjiang delivered 44.4 billion kilowatt-hours, a 13.03 percent rise (Global Times). Moreover, in 2025, the total trade volume of green energy reached 43.43 billion kilowatt-hours, up 230% year on year. These efforts helped reduce 35.47 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. These investments have created thousands of local jobs and turned Xinjiang into a green energy-exporting region.

China has also invested heavily on the consumption side, and the electric vehicle sector is a prime example. EV sales are rising, and people are showing strong enthusiasm for buying EVs. Data show that in October 2026, EV penetration reached 67.5%; this includes both pure EVs and plug-in vehicles. EV penetration is expected to reach 70%-80% in 2030. Through subsidies under the domestic consumption boost program, China is also promoting a green transition. For example, among 360 million consumers who benefited from the domestic consumption subsidy program, 11.2 million bought vehicles, 128.4 million bought home appliances, and 90.2 million bought digital products. Most of them bought EVs and renewable-energy-based or energy-efficient home appliances to reduce GHG emissions.

Under domestic consumption subsidy programs, China is urging industry to shift toward an innovative, intelligent model that improves energy efficiency and increases renewable energy use. State-owned enterprises (SOEs) are leading the charge and plan to invest more than 3 trillion yuan over the next five years in industrial upgrades. Chinese companies and industries are especially focusing on green industrial development; therefore, a major share of investment is expected to go to renewable energy.

Meanwhile, the modernization drive has further accelerated the green transition. As part of modernization, China is moving from Industry 3.0 to 4.0, which prioritizes green industrialization. Smart and intelligent industry is the new mantra, and resource-intensive industry and automation have become a thing of the past. China is also completely transforming the transport sector and supply chains through the Three-Dimensional Transport Network. China is building the Three-Dimensional Transport Network by adhering to the principles of the green transition.

Simultaneously, China is diverting required attention and resources to afforestation and to the control and reversal of desertification. For example, China completed a 3,046-kilometer (1,892-mile) green belt around the Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang. China completed this green belt under the Green Great Wall Initiative. China used drought-resistant varieties, diverted floodwater to restore forest areas, and built extensive drip irrigation systems to ensure a continuous water supply. The green belt acts as a barrier against desert encroachment. It is a historic achievement. Second, China has converted some parts of the Taklamakan Desert into productive farmland. It is an amazing story to explore. China deployed a multifaceted strategy to achieve this goal. It started by building a green wall around the desert. At the same time, it developed varieties suited to the area. It also built a state-of-the-art sprinkler irrigation system.

However, the construction of the Ecological Civilization initiative is changing the dynamics of green development and the green transition. It is unique in that it calls for harmony between humans and nature. The philosophy of ecological civilization highlights that humans and nature are equal partners, and one partner cannot develop at the cost of the other. If one partner seeks to develop at the other’s expense, it will bring negative consequences for both. Therefore, they need to strike a balance, and harmony would be the best option. The philosophy of ecological civilization has strengthened China’s resolve to fight climate change and its impacts.

At the same time, China recognizes that climate change cannot be fought alone. No country can address its causes and impacts alone. Thus, China is equally focused on building international cooperation and supporting other countries’ green transitions. On the one hand, China is leading efforts in UNFCCC negotiations to find a sustainable solution to climate change and to build consensus among countries to act together. It is well documented that China played a leading and positive role in finalizing the Paris Climate Agreement and the Copenhagen Financial Commitments by developed countries. In both cases, when the negotiations were about to end without a conclusion, China played a decisive role in achieving consensus. China is also implementing the Paris Climate Agreement in its true spirit and taking agreed actions.

China is also taking practical steps to help developing countries through technology and experience sharing, financial cooperation, and capacity building. The Belt and Road Initiative is the most prominent example on this front. China officially began transforming the BRI into the Green BRI initiative at the Second BRI Forum in 2019. Since then, China has increased investment in renewable energy, green industrialization, climate-smart agriculture, and green infrastructure. China has also shelved coal power projects and announced that it will invest in new coal power projects. The BRI Green Coalition was established to facilitate knowledge sharing and technological cooperation. At the 3rd BRI Forum, President Xi pledged efforts to strengthen the green BRI and said China will invest in capacity building for member countries. The Small and Beautiful program initiative is another step in this direction.

Further, at COP-15 on biodiversity, “Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth,” President Xi Jinping highlighted the importance of addressing the causes and impacts of climate change. China also created the Kunming Biodiversity Fund to improve biodiversity and address related challenges. The Global Development Initiative (GDI) is another avenue through which China is enhancing cooperation to tackle climate change. GDI priority areas include the green industrial transition, green energy, and climate change. China has also launched several GDI initiatives to accelerate climate-related and green-transition cooperation. Capacity building is another focus area for China.

These are only a few examples; China has made climate change and the green transition part and parcel of all initiatives. China is promoting them in all international avenues, including the UN, the G20, and others.

In conclusion, based on the above discussion, China is taking practical steps to combat the causes and impacts of climate change. China has presented a practical model of climate action without compromising on economic growth and development goals. Now, China is sharing this model and experience with the global community through initiatives such as green BRO, GDI, and others. Thus, it can be hoped that China’s rise on the global stage will strengthen humanity’s hand in tackling the causes and impacts of climate change properly.