New analysis shows China's carbon emissions grew slower than previously reported between 2020 and 2025. This shift is due to a change in how carbon intensity is measured, specifically including contracting cement industry emissions while excluding some chemical industry fossil fuel uses. These methodological changes suggest China is closer to meeting its 2030 goal of peaking emissions. The revision effectively reduces reported annual growth from 14 percent to 7 percent, sparking debate among climate researchers about the accuracy of the new framework.
