In its annual report titled "Air Quality China 2024: Progress in China's Air Pollution Control," Clean Air Asia recently analyzed air quality data from 339 cities at the prefecture level and above for the year 2023.
In its annual report titled "Air Quality China 2024: Progress in China's Air Pollution Control," Clean Air Asia recently analyzed air quality data from 339 cities at the prefecture level and above for the year 2023. The report also reviewed the country's policy measures and progress in tackling air pollution. The findings reveal that air quality in 2023 showed overall improvement compared to 2019, with energy sector changes playing a critical role in this positive trend.
Although coal-fired power remains essential for supply stability and system regulation, 2023 marked significant milestones in the energy sector. Renewable energy capacity surpassed that of coal-fired power for the first time, with new energy sources becoming the main contributor to installed capacity. The report highlighted that the share of coal consumption dropped to 55.3% in 2023, the lowest level on record, a decrease of 0.7 percentage points from 2022. Meanwhile, the proportion of clean energy consumption, including natural gas, hydropower, wind, and solar energy, rose to 26.4%, up by 0.4 percentage points from the previous year. Non-fossil fuel energy consumption accounted for 17.9%, marking a 0.3 percentage point increase.
In the power generation sector, renewable energy capacity surpassed 1.5 billion kilowatts in 2023, with renewables now accounting for 51.9% of total installed power capacity. Wind and solar power continued to experience rapid growth, making new energy sources the main contributor to new installations. The total new installed power capacity in 2023 exceeded 300 million kilowatts for the first time, with wind and solar combined accounting for nearly 80% of the increase. Furthermore, 46.1% of the newly generated electricity in 2023 came from wind and solar power.
Looking ahead to sustained improvements in air quality, the "Air Quality China 2024" report proposes several recommendations for further advancing the green and low-carbon transformation of the energy, industrial, and transportation sectors. These include the continued upgrading of coal-fired power plants to improve low-carbon capabilities and flexibility, accelerating ultra-low emissions reforms in key industries, boosting energy efficiency, and promoting clean technologies. The report also emphasizes the need for strengthening the elimination of outdated equipment, enhancing emission monitoring capabilities, and maximizing emission reduction potential in the transportation sector.