While the world is still debating the path of energy transition, China has delivered a remarkable report card. According to the latest data released by the National Energy Administration of China on March 1, by the end of 2025, China’s total installed capacity of renewable energy has reached 2.34 billion kilowatts, marking that during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China has built the world’s largest and fastest-growing renewable energy system.
Three milestones in this progress warrant particular attention from the international community: The combined installed capacity of wind and solar power has historically surpassed that of thermal power, surging from 530 million kilowatts in 2020 to 1.84 billion kilowatts—leaping over 1.3-billion-kilowatt thresholds for five consecutive years. New energy storage capacity has exceeded 100 million kilowatts, accounting for over 40% of global installations, effectively mitigating the volatility of wind and solar generation. The annual trading volume of renewable energy green power certificates surpassed historical totals, signaling the accelerated maturation of market mechanisms for green energy consumption.
Currently, the proportion of green electricity in China’s total electricity consumption has reached nearly 40%, meaning that for every 10 kilowatt-hours of electricity used, nearly 4 kilowatt-hours come from clean energy. This achievement did not happen overnight but is built on the large-scale development of wind and solar power bases in desert, Gobi, and barren regions, as well as the coordinated efforts of ultra-high voltage transmission projects, demonstrating China’s systematic capability in optimizing the energy supply structure.
For the vast number of developing countries, the significance of China building the world’s largest renewable energy system goes far beyond being a domestic political achievement. More importantly, China has significantly reduced the global cost of clean energy through large-scale development. Currently, China has formed the world’s most complete new energy industry chain, providing 70% of the world’s wind power equipment and 80% of the world’s photovoltaic modules, driving the global costs of wind power and photovoltaic power generation down by more than 60% and 80%, respectively. This has made clean energy, once regarded as a “luxury option,” an increasingly affordable and realistic choice for more and more developing countries.
During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China’s exports of wind and solar power products cumulatively reduced carbon emissions by approximately 4.1 billion tons for other countries. From Southeast Asia to Africa, from Latin America to the Middle East, Chinese enterprises have collaborated on green energy projects with over 100 countries and regions. When individual countries wavered in their climate policies, China consistently demonstrated through concrete actions that green transition is not a burden but a new track that can balance growth and emission reduction. Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, commented that the achievements made by combining China’s long-term planning, industrial capabilities, and policy coordination “will change the trajectory of global development.”
The fundamental reason for the leapfrog development of China’s renewable energy lies in the strategic determination of “adhering to a single blueprint” at the institutional level. From the “13th Five-Year Plan” clarifying the concept of green development, to the “14th Five-Year Plan” detailing the “dual carbon” goals, and then to the “15th Five-Year Plan” proposal listing “making new and significant progress in building a beautiful China” as a development goal, China’s green transition has steadily advanced along a clear roadmap. This governance model, which locks in long-term goals through national planning, ensures the coherence of industrial policies and enables enterprises to undertake technological research and development and production capacity investments spanning over a decade. In the draft outline of the “15th Five-Year Plan”, five indicators were proposed for carbon reduction and pollution control, and 18 projects were outlined for carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. From national zero-carbon parks to zero-carbon transport corridors, these initiatives are being implemented step by step.
This institutional continuity stands in contrast to the volatility demonstrated by the United States in areas such as climate policy. Notably, the U.S. announced its withdrawal from 66 international organizations, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which supports the international climate governance framework. This decision means the U.S. will not only withdraw from specific emission reduction action plans but also from the multilateral negotiation mechanisms on climate issues themselves. While China is building photovoltaic bases in desert and Gobi regions, deploying hydrogen energy industries in coastal cities, and piloting carbon capture technology in industrial parks, American businesses and local governments are forced to navigate uncertainties in federal policies. At this critical juncture of global green transition, China has demonstrated through institutional continuity and concrete actions that, no matter how the international landscape changes, China remains the most reliable guardian of our planet.