Emissions of gases harmful to the climate from China
This article is about greenhouse gas emissions by China, and their mitigation. For everything else related to climate change in China, see Climate change in China.
China has the most total annual emissions (area of rectangle) of any nation, and has higher than average per capita emissions.[1]
Cumulatively over time, China is the second-largest contributor nation to global economic damage from emissions, following the U.S.[2]
When measuring production-based emissions, China emitted over 12.6 gigatonnes (Gt) CO2eq of greenhouse gases in 2023, 35% of the world total.[3][4][5] When measuring in consumption-based terms, which adds emissions associated with imported goods and extracts those associated with exported goods, China accounted for 13 gigatonnes (Gt) or 25% of global emissions in 2019.[6]
Greenhouse gas emissions stem mainly from coal burning, including coal power, coal mining,[7] and blast furnaces producing iron and steel.[8] 79% of CO2 emissions are from the burning of coal.[9] According to the Carbon Majors Database, Chinese state coal production alone accounts for 14% of historical global emissions.[10] In 2024, China's total historical greenhouse gas emissions surpassed those of the European Union (EU), but trail those of the United States.[11]
As of 2019[update], the country's greenhouse gas emissions exceeded the combined emissions of the developed world.[6][4][12] China's per capita emissions correspond to over 10.1 tonnes CO2eq emitted per person each year, over the world average and the EU average but lower than the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases, the United States, with its 17.6 tonnes per person, according to a 2021 analysis by the Rhodium Group.[6][needs update] Analysis by Our World in Data also puts China's per capita emissions at over the world and EU averages but less than averages in Australia, Canada, and the U.S.[13] Accounting for historic emissions, OECD countries produced four times more CO2 in cumulative emissions than China, due to developed countries' early start in industrialization.[4][6] Overall, China is a net exporter of greenhouse emissions.[14]
The targets laid out in China's nationally determined contribution at the Paris Agreement in 2016 will likely be met, but are not enough to combat global warming.[15][needs update] China has committed to peak emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2060.[16] China continues to build coal-fired power stations in 2020 and promised to "phase down" coal use from 2026.[17] According to various analysis, China is estimated to overachieve its renewable energy capacity and emission reduction goals early, but long-term plans are still required to combat the global climate change and meeting the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets.[18][19][20]