- China builds world’s largest solar farm on Tibetan plateau, powering 5M homes.
- Carbon emissions fell 1% in early 2025, hinting at an earlier peak.
- Solar grows fastest, adding 212 GW in 6 months, becoming the top clean energy.
Chinese government officials showcased the largest solar farm globally upon its completion on a Tibetan plateau. It will encompass 610 square kilometers (235 square miles), equivalent to the area of Chicago.
China is deploying solar panels at a much quicker pace than any other nation, and the investment is beginning to yield results. A report published Thursday revealed that the nation's carbon emissions declined by 1 percent in the initial half of 2025 compared to the previous year, continuing a pattern that commenced in March 2024.
The positive aspect is that China's carbon emissions could have reached their peak much earlier than the government's goal of achieving this by 2030. However, China, the largest emitter of greenhouse gases globally, must significantly reduce them to contribute to mitigating global climate change.
Lauri Myllyvirta, the lead analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air and Finland-based author of the study, stated that to achieve its stated objective of carbon neutrality by 2060, China must reduce emissions by an average of 3 percent over the next 35 years.
"China needs to get to that 3 per cent territory as soon as possible," he said.
'Moment of global significance' China's emissions have decreased previously during times of economic decline. The notable change this time is that electricity demand is rising - a 3.7 percent increase in the first half of this year - but the growth in power from solar, wind, and nuclear has significantly surpassed this, as noted by Myllyvirta, who reviews the latest data in a study released on the U.K.-based Carbon Brief website.
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According to the study, China added 212 gigawatts of solar power in the first half of the year, exceeding America's total capacity of 178 gigawatts by the close of 2024. Solar electricity has surpassed hydropower in China and is likely to exceed wind energy this year, making it the nation’s primary source of clean energy. A total of 51 gigawatts of wind energy was installed between January and June.
Li Shuo, who heads the China Climate Hub at the Asia Society Policy Institute in Washington, characterized the stabilization of China's carbon emissions as a pivotal moment in the battle against climate change. Electricity for 5 million homes, an limitless array of solar panels extends toward the horizon on the Tibetan plateau. White two-story structures ascend above them at consistent intervals.
Solar panels cover approximately two-thirds of the area, and electricity is already being generated from the finished phases. Upon full completion, the project will feature over 7 million panels and will generate sufficient power for 5 million homes. Similar to numerous solar and wind farms in China, it was constructed in the relatively low-density western region. A significant challenge is supplying electricity to the industrial hubs and urban areas in eastern China.