China is on track to reach peak coal consumption, coal-fired capacity and emissions from the power sector by 2025 in line with Beijing’s climate targets, according to a researcher with Peking University’s Institute of Energy.

Kang Junjie, deputy director of the university’s climate change and energy transition programme, said China’s coal consumption and power sector carbon emissions could peak by 2025. He expects China’s peak installed coal-fired power capacity to hit 1,150 gigawatts by 2025, up from 1,095GW last year.

These targets are in line with President Xi Jinping’s commitment at the virtual climate summit of world leaders in late April that China would hit peak coal consumption by 2025.

China’s National Energy Administration had earlier said China would accelerate the development of renewable energy during the 14th five-year plan period for 2021-25, with renewable power accounting for over half of total installed capacity by 2025. Renewables made up 42.4 per cent of the total capacity at the end of last year, or 934GW. Two-thirds of China’s power consumption growth during the 14th five-year plan would be supplied by renewables.

Guest post from South China Morning Post