With colossal wind turbines sweeping their blades across the Gobi Desert and photovoltaic arrays rippling like blue oceans across the sands, the “dual carbon” commitment made five years ago is fundamentally reshaping China’s economic and ecological landscape through a profound systemic revolution.

Remarkable advancements

As the world’s largest energy consumer and manufacturer, China has, over the past five years, witnessed a notable decline in the share of coal consumption by 3.6 percentage points. The installed capacity of renewable energy has soared to over 2.1 billion kilowatts, forest coverage has historically surpassed 25%, and the annual production and sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs) have exceeded 12 million units. Each of these rising green indicators marks a profound transformation of China’s development model.

This green revolution is not only redrawing China’s physical landscape but also redefining its sustainable development paradigm. The previously dominant high-carbon growth trajectory has been radically reversed, giving way to a new development model painted vibrant green, now firmly taking hold across the nation.

The comprehensive rise of new energy has emerged as the most distinctive hallmark of China’s energy evolution over the past five years. Wind power, photovoltaics, electric vehicles, and energy storage have all achieved leapfrog development, becoming key engines driving the transformation of the energy structure.

In 2024, China added 277.57 gigawatts of newly installed photovoltaic capacity, ranking first in the world. Its output of polysilicon, silicon wafers, and solar cells accounted for 93.2%, 96.6%, and 92.3% of the global total, respectively, highlighting its robust industrial chain advantages. In the wind power sector, China has expanded from onshore to offshore development over the past five years, achieving continuous breakthroughs in both technology and scale.

Between 2020 and 2024, the number of NEVs in China increased from fewer than 5 million to 31.4 million—more than a fivefold rise—now accounting for over 60% of the global total and accelerating the upgrading of the automotive industry. Meanwhile, energy storage deployment has rapidly advanced, with numerous large-scale projects launched nationwide to support renewable energy integration and enhance the flexibility of the power system.

“These advancements have not only increased the share of non-fossil energy in China’s energy mix but have also solidified the country’s leading role in the global green transition and its capacity as a manufacturing hub for new energy worldwide,” said Lin Boqiang, director of the China Center for Energy Economics Research at Xiamen University.

Over the past five years, the “dual carbon” goals have translated national strategy into societal consensus and action. The construction of an ecological civilization has entered a new stage focused on carbon reduction, with high-quality development centering on green and low-carbon principles. This shift has subsequently driven a technological revolution, energy transformation, and industrial upgrading, spurring the rise of emerging industries represented by NEVs, lithium-ion batteries, and photovoltaic products, as well as the national carbon market. It has enhanced ecosystem carbon sink capacity and accelerated the historic transformation from traditional productive forces to new quality productive forces defined by green, intelligent, and resilient development, injecting strong momentum into Chinese modernization characterized by harmony between humanity and nature.

‘1+N’ policy framework

At the same time, the establishment of China’s “1+N” policy framework for carbon peaking and carbon neutrality marks a critical shift in the country’s governance paradigm—from an exploratory one of “crossing the river by feeling the stones” to a methodical “clearly defined top-level design”—when addressing complex systemic challenges like the “dual carbon” goals. The “1+N” policy framework comprises of two top-level design documents—the Working Guidance for Carbon Dioxide Peaking and Carbon Neutrality in Full, and the Faithful Implementation of the New Development Philosophy and the Action Plan for Carbon Dioxide Peaking Before 2030—alongside action plans for achieving peak carbon emissions in key areas and sectors such as energy, industry, transport, urban and rural construction, iron and steel, non-ferrous metals, and cement. It also includes supporting measures in science and technology, finance, standards, and talent development.

Huang Maoxing, vice president of the Fujian Academy of Social Sciences, noted that the “1+N” policy framework translates broad blueprints into actionable plans and standardized guidelines through multi-dimensional supporting policies. It not only provides institutional assurance for major goals like the “dual carbon” targets but also instills strong momentum into local practices and industrial transformation via clear top-level design, constituting a key institutional innovation driving systemic economic and social reform.