China cuts electricity emissions to record lows in 2025
Carbon dioxide emissions per kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity averaged 492 grammes during the opening half of 2025, according to data from energy portal electricitymaps.com.
That was the first ever reading below 500 grammes per kWh, and is down from 514g/kWh during the same period in 2024 and 539g/kWh from January to June 2023.
A nearly 23% rise in clean power generation from January to June 2024 was the main driver behind the reduction in emissions intensity, as higher volumes of clean energy allowed power firms to reduce output from coal and gas power plants.
Total power generation from thermal power plants — mainly coal — dropped by 4% from a year ago to just under 7,000 terawatt hours (TWh), data from LSEG shows.
Output from clean energy sources from January to June totalled 2,400 TWh, highlighting that fossil fuel power sources still account for a 75% share of China's power generation mix.
But the growth of clean energy supplies continues to sharply outpace growth in fossil fuel power generation, suggesting that China's power mix looks set to keep getting cleaner.
Total Chinese clean power output during the first half of 2025 was 200% more than during the first half of 2019, according to LSEG.
In contrast, total Chinese thermal power output from January to June 2025 was 20% greater than during the same period in 2019.
China's power sector emissions from fossil fuel generation have declined in line with the cleaner mix.
Total emissions from fossil fuels used in electricity production from January to May were 2.24 billion metric tonnes of CO2, according to data from energy think tank Ember.
That total is 60.5 million tonnes less than during the same months of 2024, and is an indication that some progress is being made against Beijing's goals of reducing energy sector pollution.
However, the enduring economic drag caused by a lingering property downturn as well as the uncertainty surrounding tariffs charged by the United States on Chinese goods is also impacting China's power needs and emissions totals.
The pace of construction in China has slowed sharply so far this decade following a debt crisis among property developers, which in turn has choked off demand for energy-intensive goods such as cement, piping, glass and construction steel.
More recently, the fresh tariffs on Chinese goods set by US President Donald Trump this year have hit demand for China-made products, and slowed production lines across several manufactured items. — Reuters
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Observer
3 hours ago
- Observer
World economies reel from Trump's punch
WASHINGTON: Global markets reeled on Friday from President Donald Trump's tariffs barrage against nearly all US trading partners as governments looked down the barrel of a seven day deadline before the higher duties take effect. Trump announced late on Thursday that dozens of economies, including the European Union, will face new tariff rates of between 10 and 41 per cent. However, implementation will be on August 7 rather than on Friday as previously announced, the White House said. This gives governments a window to rush to strike bilateral deals with Washington setting more favourable conditions. As Trump presses ahead with plans to reorder the global economy with the highest tariff rates since the early 1930s, Switzerland, "stunned" by 39 per cent tariffs, sought more talks, as did India, hit with a 25% rate. New tariffs also include a 35 per cent duty on many goods from Canada, 50 per cent for Brazil, 20 per cent for Taiwan. Taiwan said its rate was "temporary" and it expected to reach a lower figure. The tariffs are a demonstration of raw economic power that Trump sees putting US exporters in a stronger position while encouraging domestic manufacturing by keeping out foreign imports. But the muscular approach has raised fears of inflation and other economic fallout in the world's biggest economy. Stock markets in Hong Kong, London and New York slumped as they digested the turmoil. Trump's actions come as debate rages over how best to steer the US economy, with the Federal Reserve this week deciding to maintain interest rates unchanged, despite massive political pressure from the White House to cut. Data on Friday showed US job growth missing expectations for July, while unemployment ticked up to 4.2 per cent from 4.1 per cent. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 dropped 1.7 per cent, while the Nasdaq slumped 2.3 per cent. Trump raised duties on around 70 economies, from a current 10 per cent level imposed in April when he unleashed "reciprocal" tariffs citing unfair trade practices. The new, steeper levels listed in an executive order vary by trading partner. Any goods "transshipped" through other jurisdictions to avoid US duties would be hit with an additional 40 per cent tariff, the order said. Carney said his government was "disappointed" with the latest rates hike but noted that with exclusions the US average tariff on Canadian goods remains one of the lowest among US trading partners. Notably excluded from Friday's drama was China, which is in the midst of negotiations with the United States.
Observer
5 hours ago
- Observer
Dollar hits new highs after levies on some countries
LONDON - The dollar headed for its strongest weekly performance in almost three years against other major currencies, maintaining momentum on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed new tariff rates on dozens of trade partners. Some of the currencies of the countries that were hit the hardest, such as Switzerland, which now faces a 39% rate, fell sharply. The Swiss franc touched its weakest in six weeks, while the Canadian dollar headed for a seventh straight weekly loss. The dollar also gained against other currencies due to drivers other than tariffs. The yen headed for its largest weekly loss this year after the Bank of Japan signalled it was in no hurry to resume interest rate hikes, prompting Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato to say on Friday that officials were "alarmed" by currency moves. Friday also brings the monthly U.S. employment report, which is expected to show 110,000 workers were added to nonfarm payrolls in July. A large part of the dollar's strength this month has come from the perception among investors that Trump's tariffs have not derailed the economy and, so far, have not drastically lifted inflation. The Federal Reserve, despite pressure from Trump on Chair Jerome Powell to cut rates, has indicated it is in no rush to do so. Friday's payrolls report may not move the needle much on that assumption, even if a weaker reading elicits some selling of U.S. assets like the dollar, according to IG strategist Chris Beauchamp. "Fundamentally the U.S. economy is okay, it's not in the most wonderful place, tariffs will hurt a little bit and the market looks like it could be vulnerable in the short term to more selling, simply as an excuse to take some money off the table to sit it out and wait and see what happens," he said. "You'd have to have a lot of very bad data in a very short period between now and September to revive the corpse of a September rate cut," he said. The dollar index, which tracks the U.S. currency against a basket of six others, is on course to rise 2.4% this week, its best weekly performance since a 3.1% rally in September 2022. It was last up 0.1% at 100.13, its highest since late May. TARIFF HITS The Swissie fell against a range of currencies, surrendering its habitual safe-haven label in the face of a selloff in stocks and commodities, in response to Trump's hefty duties and to his demand that pharma companies - key Swiss exporters - lower the prices at which they sell to U.S. consumers. The dollar rose by as much as 0.6% to a high of 0.8173 francs, the most in six weeks, while the euro gained 0.5% to trade at 0.932 francs. The yen, another classic safe-haven currency, was last a touch stronger on the day against the dollar, which fell 0.15% to 150.545 yen, having earlier traded at its strongest since late March. The dollar also advanced on the Canadian dollar, up 0.13% at the day's high of $1.38735, after Canada was hit with a 35% tariff, instead of the threatened 25%. The euro remained pinned near an almost two-month low around $1.1408, as it continues to be weighed down by what markets see as a lopsided trade agreement with Washington. "In the short-term, you can make the case for more dollar strength," said Mike Houlahan, director at Electus Financial in Auckland. "The lion's share of the tariff news has washed through." "The big move of the week has been the euro getting re-rated downwards," he said. "The net result would be the EU-U.S. trade deal is a further headwind for the euro." The EU's framework trade agreement with the U.S., struck on Sunday, was quickly criticized by French leaders and the German head of the European Parliament's trade committee as being unfair for Europe.
Observer
5 hours ago
- Observer
India reels from the shock of Trump's onslaught
NEW DELHI — President Donald Trump's new list of tariffs on half the world's countries sent the United States' trading partners scrambling to understand how their businesses will be affected. India got the bad news a day earlier — its goods face a tariff of 25% or more — but the extra time was hardly enough to adjust to the fresh chaos. Indian negotiators had not expected to conclude a meaningful deal in time to meet Trump's revised deadline of Aug. 1. But they did expect to be treated as well as their neighbors, and to keep haggling with U.S. officials until October or November, when Trump was invited to visit India as part of the Quad defense group, which brings together four big democracies — India, the United States, Japan and Australia — with a shared interest in standing up to China. Instead, they were fed a heap of insults and injuries. Along with the 25% rate, one of the highest in Asia and only a point lower than what was threatened on 'Liberation Day' in April, India was informed that its existing trade barriers are 'strenuous and obnoxious'; it will be charged an untold penalty for buying Russian oil; it is a 'dead economy.' It's archrival Pakistan was praised and promised an oil exploration deal. Hurt feelings aside, the results are confusing. Two of the biggest categories of exports to the United States from India are personal electronics, worth about $14 billion a year, and pharmaceuticals, worth $10 billion. Rajesh Sharma, executive director of India Cellular and Electronics Association, said smartphones were exempted from these tariffs; so did executives at pharmaceutical companies. But on Friday, after reading the executive order, the Global Trade Research Initiative in New Delhi concluded the opposite. India's stock markets dipped on the news for two days running. Indian and international banks wrote notices warning that the country's generally hard-charging economic growth is likely to slow measurably as a result of the tariffs. Then there are the unknown tariffs. On July 6, Trump wrote that countries aligned with the BRICS group, of which India is a founding member, would incur an additional 10% penalty. Then on July 14, he said that, if Russia didn't make peace with Ukraine within 50 days, he would punish its trading partners with 'secondary tariffs' of 100%. That figure is making Indians worry anew. Trump added 'plus a penalty' to the 25% rate imposed on India, for buying Russian oil and weapons. Shashi Tharoor, a prominent member of the opposition, spoke to an Indian news agency about the possible impact. 'There's even talk of a 100% penalty,' he said, 'which will destroy our trade with America.' There is evidence that Indian buyers of Russian oil were already pulling back before the executive order. 'Indian refiners have reduced Russian crude purchases this week,' said Sumit Ritolia, an analyst at Kpler, which tracks shipping and commodities. They were already 'looking to further diversify, amid rising concerns over potential U.S. sanctions,' having spent years taking advantage of discounted Russian oil to reduce their imports from the Persian Gulf. Reducing the United States' trade deficit is one of the Trump administration's goals, so persuading India to buy more American oil and gas would make sense. Last year, India exported $45.7 billion more goods to the United States than it imported. It spent about three times as much importing oil. If a third of that were redirected to American sources, their bilateral trade would be evened out. Trump's angry barrage of social media has complicated further negotiations. The breakdown of trust between Narendra Modi, India's prime minister, whom Trump called his 'true friend,' the U.S. president is likely to make it harder to complete any deal, analysts say. Indian news outlets have reported that Trump wanted to iron out some outstanding issues, after four rounds of direct talks between the two sides, in a phone call with Modi. The Indian government was anxious to avoid any of his last-minute surprises. The U.S. commerce secretary accused India of 'slow-rolling' its trade negotiations. Indian officials and analysts say the friction is caused by a fundamental difference of approach. Trump has a penchant for quick, top-down dealmaking. India's bureaucracy moves at a methodical pace, especially when it comes to opening up the agriculture market, which is politically sensitive. India's recently concluded trade deal with Britain took three years of talks, under two British prime ministers. On Friday, India's Foreign Ministry released a statement that put on a brave face. 'India and the United States share a Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership,' established in 2013 between President Barack Obama and then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 'anchored in shared interests, democratic values and robust people-to-people ties.' The ministry stuck to principles, revealing no plan for breaking through Trump's hard line. 'This partnership has weathered several transitions and challenges,' the statement said. 'We remain focused on the substantive agenda that our two countries have committed to and are confident that the relationship will continue to move forward.' This article originally appeared in
