Carbon emissions lead to climate change, which in turn has a significant impact on biodiversity. In recent years, China has achieved dual success in reducing carbon emissions and protecting biodiversity.

China's CO2 emissions have now been flat or falling for 21 months as of February 2026 — not because demand stalled, but because clean-power generation has been growing faster than demand, reported Lauri Myllyvirta, co-founder of the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air in Helsinki, whose quarterly analyses for UK-based energy research organization Carbon Brief are widely regarded as the benchmark for tracking Chinese emissions.

Renewable energy has become one of the main drivers of China's economic development. According to Carbon Brief, by 2025, solar power, electric vehicles (EVs) and other clean energy technologies contributed more than one-third to China's economic growth and drove over 90 percent of investment growth.

"China's energy transition demonstrates the power of long-term planning," said Espen Mehlum, head of energy at the World Economic Forum (WEF). "Guided by successive Five-Year Plans, the country has improved energy security, sustainability and affordability. "

In parallel, it has built globally leading capabilities in clean energy industries such as EVs, batteries and solar manufacturing: progress reflected in its strong performance in the WEF's Energy Transition Index.

The output value of China's clean energy sector reached a record high of 15.4 trillion RMB (2.1 trillion USD) in 2025, accounting for about 11.4 percent of the country's GDP — equivalent to the economy of Brazil or Canada. A February analysis by Carbon Brief stated that between 2022 and 2025, the actual scale of China's clean energy sector nearly doubled; if treated as an independent economy, it would rank eighth globally.

While making efforts to reduce carbon emissions, China is also cooperating with other countries around the world to jointly carry out biodiversity conservation.

During a biodiversity protection training course for Belt and Road partner countries under the dual carbon framework, officials and experts from countries such as Kenya, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Ethiopia, Nepal and Thailand visited Beijing and Sichuan in southwest China. They praised China's achievements in biodiversity protection, saying China's practical experience has broadened the horizon for biodiversity protection work.

Panida Muangmor, who serves in the Thai Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, said China has effectively implemented a series of policy measures, carried out large-scale ecological restoration projects, and engaged in international cooperation.

"We jointly carried out the protection and restoration of mangroves, promoted knowledge sharing, and established a long-term cooperation mechanism," Panida said.

Garissa, a county in Kenya, has a 50-megawatt photovoltaic power station that is a model of high-quality Belt and Road green energy cooperation between Kenya and China. It is the largest photovoltaic power generation project in East Africa, bringing significant economic, social and environmental benefits to the county and the entire country.

"We look forward to the two countries conducting more cooperation in areas such as green energy, talent cultivation, and joint monitoring, to achieve greater mutual benefit and reciprocity," Abdiladif Haret, director in charge of climate change in Garissa, said.