China and US State of Play – Background Paper

The document provides a detailed update on the climate trajectories of China and the U.S., highlighting China's rapid expansion of non-fossil energy capacity and the U.S.'s implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). It details specific national policies, such as China's '1+N' system and the U.S.'s EPA rules on power plants and vehicles, while analyzing the diplomatic dynamics following the Sunnylands Statement and the transition of key climate envoys.

• In 2023, China's CO2 emissions increased by 4.7% to reach 12.6 Gt, with energy combustion emissions rising by 5.2%. Despite this, non-fossil energy power generation capacity reached 1.57 billion kilowatts, exceeding thermal power installations for the first time and accounting for 53.9% of total capacity.
• China is implementing a '1+N' policy system for carbon peaking and neutrality, and has launched a National Pilot on Carbon Emissions Peak Plan involving 100 cities and industrial parks across fifteen provinces to develop replicable models for national goals.
• China relaunched the China Certified Emission Reduction (CCER) scheme on January 22, 2024, and passed the Interim Regulations on Carbon Emissions Trading Management on January 5, 2024, to provide a legal framework for its emissions trading system.
• The U.S. reports a 1.9% year-on-year decrease in estimated emissions for 2023, driven by a mild winter and lower coal power generation. The U.S. aims for 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 and a net-zero economy by 2050.
• The U.S. is utilizing the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to fund clean energy, including $7 billion for clean hydrogen hubs and $3.5 billion for the electric grid. However, the IRA's exclusion of electric vehicles with Chinese-sourced minerals led China to request WTO dispute consultations on March 26, 2024.
• The November 2023 Sunnylands Statement reaffirmed U.S.-China cooperation on climate, pledging to triple renewable energy capacity globally by 2030 and advance five large-scale CCUS projects each by 2030.

APA

World Resources Institute (2024). China and US State of Play – Background Paper. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2024-07/2024-us-china-state-of-play-briefing-EN.pdf

Chicago

World Resources Institute. China and US State of Play – Background Paper. 2024. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2024-07/2024-us-china-state-of-play-briefing-EN.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=China and US State of Play – Background Paper |date=10 April 2024 |url=https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2024-07/2024-us-china-state-of-play-briefing-EN.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2024china, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{China and US State of Play – Background Paper}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2024}, month = apr, url = {https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2024-07/2024-us-china-state-of-play-briefing-EN.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }