Climate change: could China lead the world’s fight?

LONGi is one of the world’s biggest solar manufacturers. At its headquarters in Shaanxi province, robots turn slices of silicon into solar cells around the clock. Companies like LONGi have helped China become a clean-energy powerhouse. The solar panels and lithium-ion batteries the country produces are crucial for greening the world’s economies. But China is also the world’s biggest emitter of carbon dioxide. Shaanxi province is home to a thriving coal industry. And China’s love affair with the stuff is far from over: last year, on average, two new coal-fired power plants were approved every week. The country has work to do if it’s to hit Xi Jinping’s target of being carbon-neutral by 2060. In the final days of the COP29 conference, Alice Su, The Economist’s senior China correspondent, and Gabriel Crossley, our correspondent based in Beijing, examine China’s climate policy and ask: what’s stopping the country from leading the world’s fight against climate change? For more on COP29, check out the latest episodes of our sister podcasts: “Babbage” looks at how to wean countries off coal, while “Money Talks” counts the cost of the energy transition. Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.