Online Gallery | Green energy injects momentum into China's low-carbon transition

Abstract : From the clear deployment in this year's government work report on accelerating the comprehensive green transition to the rigid target set in the "15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030)" outline of reducing carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 17 percent, and from the full shift to dual control over the total amount and intensity of carbon emissions to promoting the transformation of green industries, China is making green and low-carbon transition a new engine for high-quality development.

BEIJING, May 21 (Xinhua) -- From the clear deployment in this year's government work report on accelerating the comprehensive green transition to the rigid target set in the "15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030)" outline of reducing carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 17 percent, and from the full shift to dual control over the total amount and intensity of carbon emissions to promoting the transformation of green industries, China is making green and low-carbon transition a new engine for high-quality development.

Driven by years of technological innovation and investment, China has emerged as a global leader in the green energy industry, with green energy becoming an increasingly important force in the country's green and low-carbon transition.

SOLAR POWER

Large-scale solar power bases and distributed photovoltaic projects across China are rapidly expanding, providing massive clean electricity for residential and industrial use while significantly slashing carbon emissions.

An aerial drone photo taken on April 29, 2026 shows sheep grazing among photovoltaic panels at a 3.2-million-kilowatt solar power base in Nilka County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

A drone photo taken on April 6, 2026 shows a view of a solar thermal and photovoltaic (PV) integrated project by China General Nuclear Power Group in Damxung County of Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Tenzin Nyida)

An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 17, 2026 shows a wind-solar complementary power farm near Caojiazhuang Village of Zanhuang County, north China's Hebei Province. (Xinhua/Yang Shiyao)

WIND POWER

With vast onshore wind farms across its northern and western regions and rapidly expanding offshore projects along the eastern coastline, China's wind energy not only provides clean electricity to millions of households but also plays a crucial role in reducing carbon emissions.

An aerial drone photo taken on May 3, 2026 shows a wind farm in Wuhe County of Bengbu, east China's Anhui Province. (Photo by Li Xiangqian/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on May 7, 2026 shows a view of the Huitengliang wind farm in Xilinhot City, Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Photo by Cui Weiguang/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on May 7, 2026 shows wind turbines in Panzhou City, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Tao Liang)

A drone photo taken on Jan. 13, 2026 shows the construction site of a 20-megawatt offshore wind turbine unit in the coastal waters of southeast China's Fujian Province. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

HYDROPOWER

China ranks first globally in both the number of reservoirs and dams and installed hydropower capacity. As an important source of clean energy, hydropower provides a flexible supply of electricity in western China. Building on this foundation, China is making active yet prudent efforts to construct critical hydropower projects on major rivers in the southwest to support the country's green and low-carbon transition.

An aerial drone photo taken on May 7, 2026 shows a view of the Baihetan hydropower station in southwest China. (Photo by Yan Keren/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on March 27, 2026 shows a river hydropower complex in Xinyuan County of Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

An aerial drone photo taken on Nov. 2, 2025 shows the Three Gorges Dam in Yichang, central China's Hubei Province. (Photo by Zheng Jiayu/Xinhua)

BIOMASS POWER

Biomass energy is derived from agricultural and forestry waste, livestock manure and organic refuse. China produces about 3.5 billion tonnes of agricultural, forestry and household biomass resources annually. With the rise of clean energy technologies and increasing environmental awareness, China is viewing these materials as a vital part of its energy transition.

An aerial drone photo taken on May 7, 2026 shows a panoramic view of the Hongmiao Ridge Circular Economy Eco-Industrial Park in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province. The park serves as the city's hub for municipal waste treatment and resource recovery. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

An aerial drone photo taken on April 29, 2026 shows a waste-to-energy plant on the outskirts of Yining, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The plant can process up to 1,000 tonnes of household waste per day and generate more than 100 million kWh of electricity annually. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

Workers sort collected straw on Mianchuan Island in Jiujiang City, east China's Jiangxi Province, before it is transported off the island for recycling on Jan. 29, 2026. (Xinhua/Wan Xiang)

GREEN ENERGY IN EVERYDAY LIFE

From aquavoltaic and agrivoltaic projects to rooftop PV systems and public charging piles, green energy is increasingly embedded in the daily lives of Chinese people, bringing the benefits of low-carbon transition directly to communities and households. As green energy access becomes universal in daily scenarios, China's low-carbon transition continues to deliver inclusive and sustainable growth for the long term.

This photo taken on May 3, 2026 shows an aquavoltaic power station in Qiaoji Village of Bengbu City, east China's Anhui Province. (Photo by Li Xiangqian/Xinhua)

Sheep graze under solar panels at an agrivoltaic power station in the Yi-Hui-Miao Autonomous County of Weining, southwest China's Guizhou Province, May 8, 2026. (Xinhua/Tao Liang)

An aerial drone photo taken on March 19, 2026 shows photovoltaic devices on the roof of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) International Conference Center and the BFA hotel in the Boao zero-carbon demonstration zone in Boao, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

An aerial drone photo taken on May 7, 2026 shows rooftop photovoltaic panels on buildings in Namu Village of Yangchang Township, Panzhou City, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Tao Liang)