# China's Q3 CO2 emissions fell an estimated 3.1% year on year, the largest drop since 2022, Crea says

- Published: 2026-11-06 01:01 UTC
- Section: Planet › Climate
- Tags: China CO2 emissions, Crea analysis, Carbon Brief, coal power decline, Lauri Myllyvirta, electric vehicles oil demand, renewable energy China, COP31
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-cad8a665116ba405d3a241d1_china_s_q3/

**According to Crea analysis, China's CO2 emissions in Q3 fell about 3.1% year on year, driven by lower coal power generation and reduced oil use in transport.**

![China's Q3 CO2 emissions fell an estimated 3.1% year on year, the largest drop since 2022, Crea says](https://sgzwpqqelzmajkcubgkl.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/rt-media/2026/11/e962259c24d24630.jpg)
*lomazoma.com*

China's carbon dioxide emissions fell by an estimated 3.1% in the third quarter of this year compared with the same period a year earlier, the largest decline since 2022, according to lomazoma.com. The estimate comes from the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (Crea), which published it in the Carbon Brief portal. The decline for the year so far is estimated at 0.5%. [1]

## What drove the decline

Crea lead analyst Lauri Myllyvirta said he evaluated official and commercial data. He named a 3.3% drop in coal-fired power generation and slower growth of the coal chemicals industry as reasons for the decline. [1]

He also pointed to a marked fall in oil consumption in transport. He linked it in part to pressure on oil demand from the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz and to a rising share of electric vehicles. Emissions from cement and steel production also decreased; the crisis in China's construction sector may be the background. [1]

China's energy agency likewise reported lower coal power generation in the third quarter, and therefore lower coal consumption. In the first half of the year, the share of coal in electricity generation fell below 50% for the first time, the agency said in a statement. [1]

## Trend and renewables

According to Myllyvirta, this continues a trend visible since March 2024, in which China's CO2 emissions stagnate or even fall. China continues to rely on coal and is building new capacity. However, the analysis suggests that the fall in coal power generation means plants will have shorter running times on average. [1]

At the end of October the energy agency reported an increase in electricity generation from renewable sources. Myllyvirta said that growth in renewable generation this year could exceed growth in total energy demand, which would lead to a structural decline in the use of fossil fuels. He also noted that removing barriers to connecting wind and solar farms to the grid is important, so that less renewable electricity is lost. [1]

Global CO2 emissions will be a topic at the COP31 climate conference in Antalya, Türkiye, in about a week. China is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases. [1]

## Sources

1. [lomazoma.com](https://lomazoma.com/laut-analyse-sind-chinas-co2-emissionen-deutlich-gesunken)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-cad8a665116ba405d3a241d1_china_s_q3/