Q&A: What does China’s 15th ‘five-year plan’ for renewables mean for climate change?
China has unveiled its 15th five-year plan for renewable energy, setting a target of 3,500 gigawatts of capacity by 2030. The plan emphasizes grid-friendly, dependable energy output and the expansion of renewables into industrial sectors like steel and chemicals.
Why it matters
China's energy policy is a primary driver of global climate change mitigation efforts and the international clean technology market.
China has released its “15th five-year plan for the development of renewable energy”, outlining key targets and policies for the sector in 2026-2030.
A key focus of the plan is boosting renewable generation and consumption as a share of China’s overall energy mix.
It calls for continued capacity additions of wind and solar – albeit at lower levels than previous years – as well as hydropower, biomass and other clean-energy sources.
Specifically, China will aim to install 3,500 gigawatts (GW) of renewables capacity by 2030, 2,800GW will be wind and solar.
The country had previously pledged to install 1,200GW of wind and solar by 2030, a goal that China met six years early.
Another major theme is the provision of wind and solar supply that is “dependable” and “grid-friendly”.
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