China Program

Our Work
China Program

We aim to help China peak carbon emissions by 2030 and, with government and other partners, support China as it reduces its carbon intensity 60% by 2030.

What Is Our China Program?

In China, we partner with the government to help the nation profitably surpass its existing national energy and emissions targets, dramatically reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, and set a clear pathway for the developing world to follow. We’re working with China to peak carbon emissions earlier and lower, especially in a network of pioneering cities.

Why It Matters

The world cannot achieve a secure energy future unless its most energy- and carbon-intensive and populous countries lead the energy revolution. China is the world’s leading coal consumer and carbon dioxide emitter, but is also a world leader in renewables manufacturing and scaling.

What We’re Doing

We are supporting China in reducing its dependence on fossil fuels by:

Supporting leading Chinese cities to peak carbon emissions early and in line with the national peaking target of 2030

Driving practical, scalable pilots with government and business to accelerate the transformation of the industrial, buildings, and transportation sectors

Supporting power sector reform to enable corporations to procure renewable energy and enable the grid to integrate renewables‬

Who’s Involved

RMI's Beijing-based team works closely with core NGO partners, key Chinese government, business, and thought leaders—including leaders responsible for writing China’s 13th Five Year Plan, and the country’s social and economic development initiatives.

What We’ve Accomplished

With our partners, we've released the Reinventing Fire: China report, a groundbreaking energy roadmap for China that shows how the country can realize a six-fold economic growth by 2050 using almost the same amount of energy in 2050 as 2010, but with substantially more renewable energy and less coal. We've also provided technical and economic analysis along with policy recommendations to help inform energy decisions in China, including its commitments to the UNFCC process and its creation of the 13th Five-Year Plan. To put these plans into action, in 2016 we published the City Peaking Handbook, a comprehensive resource to guide cities on their mandate to cost-effectively peak emissions ahead of the 2030 national target.