A SURGE in clean power generation will reduce carbon emissions in China next year and could put the country on a path to sustained declines.

Installations of solar, wind, nuclear and hydro capacity this year should generate enough electricity to power all of France, according to Lauri Myllyvirta, lead analyst with the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

That will be more than enough to cover new power demand in China, leaving the nation less reliant on coal and the emissions that go with it.

Whether it’s a one-year drop or a continued decline depends on China’s ability to maintain this year’s level of clean energy deployment in the face of grid constraints, Myllyvirta said.

A sustained reduction would mean China’s emissions peaking a full seven years before its 2030 target under the Paris agreement.

“If coal interests fail to stall the expansion of China’s wind and solar capacity, then low-carbon energy growth would be sufficient to cover rising electricity demand beyond 2024,” Myllyvirta said.

China’s burgeoning clean energy manufacturing sectors should give the government more incentive to stay the course with renewables deployment, according to the report.                       (SD-Agencies)