Home
/
Insights
/
Accelerating the Development of Renewable Energy in China to Support the Global Target of Tripling Installed Capacity
Accelerating the Development of Renewable Energy in China to Support the Global Target of Tripling Installed Capacity
English, Chinese
NOV 2024
Policy Brief
Energy Transition Power
Summary:
This policy brief examines China's progress toward the COP28 "global tripling target" for renewable energy capacity by 2030 and assesses provincial-level potential for further ambition. It reviews global renewable deployment trends, the gap between NDC targets and the tripling target, and China's policy framework supporting renewable expansion (Renewable Energy Law, consumption responsibility quotas, green certificate trading, power market reform). The analysis presents provincial-level renewable capacity data and targets, identifies provinces that have significantly outperformed or underperformed relative to goals, and reviews modeling projections for 2030 capacity. It finds that China achieved its 2030 wind and solar target six years ahead of schedule but that provincial targets vary widely, with significant upside potential in power-demanding coastal provinces. It recommends accelerated power system flexibility improvements, market mechanism enhancements, and coordinated provincial target-setting.
Suggested citation:
Li, Xindi. (2024). Accelerating the Development of Renewable Energy in China to Support the Global Target of Tripling Installed Capacity (Policy Brief). Beijing: Institute for Global Decarbonization Progress (iGDP). November 2024.
Related
-
Decarbonizing Steel Industry Thermal SystemsThis report examines the low-carbon transition pathways for thermal/heating systems in China's steel industry, reviewing the policy drivers behind decarbonization and analyzing the technological trajectory across near-, medium-, and long-term horizons (2025–2060). It surveys and compares the applicability, economics, and emissions-reduction potential of key technologies—including waste heat recovery, system efficiency improvements, and hydrogen-based metallurgy—through in-depth case studies (HBIS Group's hydrogen metallurgy, Shougang Jingtang's process interface optimization, and Sinosteel/CISP's hydrogen-based smelting reduction, among others). It further identifies the practical barriers to scaling these technologies (high green hydrogen costs, renewable energy intermittency, stranded-asset risk, and weak cross-sector coordination mechanisms), and proposes policy recommendations to accelerate the sector's shift toward integration with renewable energy systems.Report AUG 2026

-
Consumption Constraints in China’s Green Hydrogen Amino Acid IndustryExamines the green hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol industry in China, contends that the sector is shifting from a supply-side capacity-expansion phase to a "demand-constrained" phase where commercial viability depends on forming a closed-loop offtake and consumption system, identifies critical bottlenecks—including high production costs (2–3 times higher than conventional routes), insufficient port refueling infrastructure, heavy reliance on volatile international certification (e.g., ISCC) and external demand, and the failure of green premiums to translate into stable domestic willingness-to-pay—and proposes a strategic policy reorientation from merely "building production capacity" to actively "creating demand" through enforceable domestic demand-side mechanisms (e.g., non-electric consumption targets, green procurement, and carbon market integration), enhanced domestic green certification and pricing capabilities, consumption-side incentives, and stricter project screening focused on commercial closure, in order to unlock the industry's low-carbon value, reduce dependence on external rules, and support its sustainable commercial scaling and contribution to China's energy transition.Commentary JUN 2026

-
Behind China’s Boom in ‘Zero-Carbon Industrial Parks’As the parks multiply, unified standards and better carbon accounting are needed to maximize their potential.Op-ed APR 2026

-
From Fuel to Feedstock: China’s Fossil Fuel Turning Point and Implications for Subnational Decarbonization in Carbon-Intensive IndustriesThis policy brief analyzes the structural shift in China's fossil energy consumption from fuel to feedstock, identifying provinces with high feedstock dependence and assessing the implications for subnational decarbonization under the "dual control" framework for carbon emissions. The methodology combines quantitative analysis of national and provincial energy statistics from the China Energy Statistical Yearbook (2019–2023) with a classification framework that ranks provinces based on the share of coal, oil, and natural gas used as feedstock relative to their total final consumption of each fuel. It then derives targeted policy recommendations centered on accelerating the deployment of green hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol as substitutes for fossil feedstocks in carbon-intensive industries, supported by a case study of Inner Mongolia's green hydrogen industry plan.Policy Brief APR 2026

-
Medium and Long Term Outlook for Low Carbon Transition in Tianjin Using EPS ModelingThis report assesses the low-carbon transition pathway for Tianjin Municipality under China's carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, using the Energy Policy Simulator (EPS) model to quantify energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission trajectories to 2060. The methodology employs a scenario-based quantitative modeling framework, constructing three scenarios—a 2020 Policy Freeze scenario, a Policy scenario, and a Dual Carbon scenario—to evaluate the emission reduction effects of different policy combinations. The EPS Tianjin 2024 model covers five core sectors: power, industry, transport, buildings, and land use and forestry, capturing inter-sectoral linkages and mitigation potentials. The analysis identifies critical areas and priority policies for achieving carbon neutrality, assesses investment requirements, and evaluates the economic and employment impacts of the transition.Report Summary APR 2026

-
Zero-Carbon Industrial Parks—A Key Driver of the Industrial Green TransitionThe development of zero-carbon industrial parks is not the result of a single policy initiative, but rather an inevitable choice driven by the combined effects of macro-level strategies, international competition, and the industry’s own internal momentum.Op-ed APR 2026
