New analysis shows China's exports of solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, and electric vehicles avoided 374 million metric tons of CO2 in 2025, more than the UK's total annual emissions. Over their lifetime, these exports are expected to avoid 6,900 MtCO2, a 31% increase from 2024. Solar exports to South Asia, particularly Pakistan, accounted for nearly a third of the avoided emissions, highlighting the role of low-cost Chinese technology in accelerating global decarbonization. The report underscores how China's manufacturing scale is reshaping the economics of clean energy, making adoption viable in emerging markets. However, the avoided emissions still represent a small fraction of global CO2 output, which was about 39 billion tons in 2024. The findings also raise policy questions about trade barriers and how to balance domestic manufacturing interests with the urgent need for worldwide emission reductions.
