China's Carbon Peaking Plan Amid Record Global Coal Consumption

On 9 July 2026 the Chinese State Council released the 15th Five‑Year Carbon Peaking Action Plan, the final blueprint for meeting the 2030 carbon‑peaking commitment. The plan calls for a 17 % reduction in CO₂ emissions per unit of GDP by 2030 (from 2025 levels) and a 25 % share of non‑fossil energy. It sets targets to expand wind and solar capacity to about 2 800 GW, increase hydropower to 410 GW, and bring nuclear capacity to 110 GW, while scaling up storage, pumped‑storage and demand‑response to absorb renewables. The plan also seeks to cap further growth in coal and oil use and to promote large‑scale clean coal substitution.

In 2025 global coal consumption rose to a record 166 exajoules, a 0.7 % increase over 2024, even as coal‑fired electricity generation fell 0.3 %. China and India together accounted for nearly 70 % of that consumption, highlighting Asia’s dominant role. Although coal’s share of the total energy mix slipped slightly to 27.7 %, renewables grew by about 10 % in the same year. The contrasting trends underscore the challenge of reducing coal use while overall energy demand continues to rise, and they frame the urgency of China’s new policy measures.