This Country Sees Its Longest Drop in Carbon Emissions in 10 Years (and Counting!)

China’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have been on a steady decline – with the country now maintaining its longest sustained drop in CO2 emissions in over ten years. 

Carbon dioxide emissions in China fell by roughly 1.4% in the first three months of 2022, representing the third sustained quarter in a row of reduced emissions.

“The string of three consecutive quarters of falling emissions — starting in the third quarter of 2021 — is the longest in at least a decade,” explains Lauri Myllyvirta, an analyst at Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air who covers air quality and energy trends in China. 

Covid restrictions — as well as slowdowns in the construction, cement, and oil industries — were deemed the main drivers of these falling emissions; yet, predictions expect the second quarter of 2022 to continue the trend of falling CO2 emissions. What’s more, China is rapidly expanding its clean energy sector, with ambitious wind and solar power goals set by the central and local governments that are ultimately expected to cover any additional energy demand by 2025.