China’s CO2 emissions have been flat or falling for past 18 months, analysis finds

World's biggest polluter on track to hit peak emissions target early but miss goal for cutting carbon intensity

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China's carbon dioxide emissions have been flat or falling for 18 months, analysis reveals, adding evidence to the hope that the world's biggest polluter has managed to hit its target of peak CO₂ emissions well ahead of schedule.

Rapid increases in the deployment of solar and wind power generation - which grew by 46% and 11% respectively in the third quarter of this year - meant the country's energy sector emissions remained flat, even as the demand for electricity increased.