China’s Wind and Solar Capacity Surpasses Thermal Power for the First Time

China announced on Friday that its wind and solar energy capacity has surpassed that of its predominantly coal-powered thermal energy for the first time. “In the first quarter of 2025, China’s newly installed wind and photovoltaic power capacity totalled 74.33 million kilowatts, bringing the cumulative installed capacity to 1.482 billion kilowatts,” the country’s national energy body said. “It has surpassed the installed capacity of thermal power (1.451 billion kilowatts) for the first time,” it added, without defining thermal power in its brief statement.

Despite still relying on coal for around 60 percent of its energy, China is also a global leader in renewable energy. According to research published last year, the country has built nearly twice as much wind and solar capacity as every other country combined. China, the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases that drive climate change, has pledged to peak its carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.

Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated the country’s climate commitment on Wednesday, stating that “no matter how the international situation changes”, China’s efforts to combat climate change will not slow down. He added that China would announce its 2035 greenhouse gas reduction commitments, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), before COP30 in November.

Xi emphasized that these future commitments would cover all greenhouse gases, not just carbon dioxide, marking a significant step in the country’s climate policy. These statements suggest a broadening and strengthening of China’s environmental objectives as it continues to position itself as a leader in renewable energy development.

Meanwhile, in contrast, President Donald Trump has pulled the United States—the world’s second-largest polluter—out of the Paris climate accord while advocating for a substantial expansion in fossil fuel production.