Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: China raced ahead building renewable energy last year, installing more wind and solar power than ever before and continuing to leave all other countries in the dust.
The nation put up 357 gigawatts of solar and wind, a 45 per cent and 18 per cent increase, respectively, over what was operating at the end of 2023, according to China’s National Energy Administration. That’s akin to building 357 full-size nuclear plants in one year.
The installations meant China surpassed a goal, six years early, of having 1,200 gigawatts from renewables by 2030, a benchmark Chinese President Xi Jinping set five years ago.
The scale of the advance is important because at the same time, China remains the country that currently contributes the most to climate change, relying heavily on burning coal to make electricity, cement and for manufacturing.