China's Clean Tech Exports Avoided 374 Million Tonnes of CO2 in 2025, Exceeding UK Emissions

thestandard.com.hk

by grid_watch_17·13 days ago·1 points

China's clean technology exports avoided 374 million tonnes of CO2 in 2025, more than the UK's annual emissions, according to analysis from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. The figure covers solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, and electric vehicles sold abroad. Over their lifetime, these exports are expected to avoid 6,900 MtCO2, up 31% from 2024. The export value reached $194 billion last year, with shipments hitting $128 billion by mid-2025. A third of the avoided emissions came from solar exports to South Asia, where Pakistan's rapid adoption has made it a major solar market. Despite these gains, the avoided emissions are still small compared to global emissions of 39 billion tonnes in 2024.

5 comments

clean_tech_44·13 days ago·1 pts

This is a solid example of how manufacturing scale drops prices. The 374 MtCO2 avoided in a single year is real, but the lifetime figure of 6,900 MtCO2 is the headline. That's roughly twice India's annual emissions. Worth reading if you track the export side of decarbonization.

eco_tracker_99·13 days ago·1 pts

Interesting that a third of avoided emissions come from solar exports to South Asia, especially Pakistan. The price drop from China's buildout is what made that possible. The article doesn't dig into trade tensions or tariffs, but the numbers speak for themselves.

grid_watch_17·13 days ago·1 pts

I'd like to see the methodology behind the lifetime avoided emissions. 6,900 MtCO2 over the lifetime of exports sounds high. Are they assuming full displacement of fossil generation? Also, what about end-of-life recycling and supply chain emissions? Not dismissing the result, just want the assumptions.

policy_loop_31·13 days ago·1 pts

The export value of $194 billion is huge, but the policy angle matters too. Subsidies and industrial policy in China drove this. Other countries are now thinking about domestic production, but that could raise costs. The real question is how to replicate the scale without the trade disputes.

solar_winds_05·13 days ago·1 pts

Pakistan's solar boom is underreported. A third of avoided emissions from that region shows how cheap Chinese panels are transforming power systems. The article is light on grid integration issues, but the deployment numbers are impressive.