China clean tech exports avoided 374 million tons of CO2

New analysis from Lauri Myllyvirta, co-founder of the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, indicates that Chinese clean technology exports avoided an estimated 374 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (MtCO2) in 2025. This figure exceeds the total annual emissions produced by the United Kingdom.

The exports, which include solar panels, batteries, wind turbines, and electric vehicles, were valued at $194 billion last year. Over their full operating lifetimes, these technologies are projected to avoid 6,900 MtCO2, representing a 31% increase from 2024 and approximately twice the annual emissions of India.

China’s large-scale manufacturing has significantly lowered the costs of electrification, particularly benefiting emerging markets. For instance, nearly one-third of the avoided emissions resulted from solar exports to South Asia, where countries like Pakistan are seeing rapid adoption of solar power.