<article><p class="lead">China has set more detailed targets for its low-carbon and energy transition by 2030 in the wake of President Xi Jinping's <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2145419">pledge to be carbon neutral by 2060</a>.</p><p>China will increase the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to around 25pc, while taking its total wind and solar installed power generation capacity to more than 1,200GW, President Xi said in a virtual meeting of the Climate Ambition Summit on 12 December. </p><p>The target will add at least 75GW of wind and solar power capacity on an annual average basis, or a compound annual growth rate of 10.2pc. China's total wind and solar power installed capacity was 455GW as of October. </p><p>The country will also lower its CO2 emissions per unit of GDP by over 65pc from 2005 levels by 2030, while increasing its forest cover by 6bn m³ from 2005 levels, Xi said. China's CO2/GDP emissions intensity last year had been cut by 48.1pc from 2005 levels, according to the ecology and environment ministry. </p><p>This will require tougher environmental policies than currently in place to achieve this more ambitious target. The CO2/GDP cut was targeted at 60-65pc in an energy strategic policy set by China's central government in 2017, with non-fossil fuels aiming to account for 20pc of primary energy consumption by 2030. Industrial participants are expected pay more attention to innovation in electricity storage technology, while upgrading their systems for energy saving and efficiency. </p><p>A <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2155206">roadmap for the country's energy transition</a> was outlined in October by a government-linked report published by Tsinghua University's institute of climate change and sustainable development. It advised the government to follow policies for non-fossil fuels to reach 24.3-28.6pc of China's primary energy mix by 2030, with the share of coal falling to 43-46pc from the current 57pc.</p><p>China's wind and solar electricity generation in 2019 was 8.6pc of the total electricity generated, although the combined installed capacity reached a 20.6pc share. The percentage of coal-fired power generation capacity fell to 51.8pc in 2019 but still provided more than 62pc of the electricity generated.</p></article>
