China's clean-tech exports cut emissions, report says

China is exporting a record amount of clean energy technology and equipment as the energy crisis from the Iran war drives surging demand for renewables, and that will help reduce global emissions, according to a report released Thursday.

Once installed or deployed, these 2026 exports will likely avert emissions of about 450 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, roughly equal to Brazil's annual emissions, says the analysis by the Finland-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

It's a small sign of progress as global efforts to curb climate change fall short. In November, Turkiye will host annual UN climate talks where electrification is expected to be a leading topic.

"This is a pivot point for the outlook of global energy and global emissions," said Lauri Myllyvirta, with CREA. “We're seeing growth in clean energy that is much, much faster than anyone predicted just a few years ago.”

Record-breaking year for Chinese exports

China is by far the largest global supplier of renewable energy equipment, from solar panels and wind turbines to electric vehicles and batteries. Most of what it makes is sold domestically, but a sizeable share is exported.

In the first nine months of 2026, CREA tracked a 61 per cent increase in exports of electric vehicles, a 45 per cent jump in shipments of wind turbines, a 39 per cent spike in battery exports and 22 per cent growth in overseas sales of solar equipment, compared to the same period last year.

Southeast Asia was a major destination. China's clean energy exports to the region jumped nearly 160 per cent from last year to this September, according to Ember, an independent global energy think tank.

The value of China's electric vehicle exports hit USD 72.8 billion in the first nine months of this year, up from USD 39.7 billion last year, according to the research firm Atlas Public Policy.

Chinese clean tech dents emissions

If these export trends continue for the rest of 2026, about 8,400 million metric tons of carbon dioxide will be averted over the lifetime of all the clean tech China exported this year, CREA estimates.

That's about 24 per cent of annual global emissions, more than the United States' and India's emissions combined.

The analysis by CREA is based on export data, the electricity systems in destination countries and Chinese emissions during manufacturing. Independent experts said the estimate was in line with the scale of China's exports, but were unable to validate the data. - PTI