China Unveils Climate Plan to Expand Renewable Energy Use Across Industry, Data Centres and Transport by 2030

China has released a new climate action plan aimed at accelerating the use of renewable energy across key sectors of its economy by 2030, with a strong focus on integrating clean electricity into industrial manufacturing, data centres and the transportation network. The initiative is part of the country’s broader strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while improving the utilisation of its rapidly expanding renewable energy capacity.

The plan outlines measures to increase the direct consumption of renewable electricity by factories, logistics facilities, transport systems and large-scale data centres. It seeks to strengthen the integration of wind and solar power into industrial operations through dedicated green power supply mechanisms, expanded transmission infrastructure and improved grid flexibility. Authorities also plan to encourage industrial enterprises to adopt renewable energy for production processes, helping lower carbon emissions from one of the country’s most energy-intensive sectors.

Data centres, whose electricity demand has risen sharply with the rapid growth of artificial intelligence and cloud computing, have been identified as another priority under the new policy. China intends to promote the development of green data centres by increasing access to renewable electricity, improving energy efficiency and encouraging the co-location of computing facilities with clean energy resources wherever feasible.

The climate roadmap also places emphasis on expanding renewable energy use in the transport sector. Measures include increasing the electrification of transport systems, supporting the adoption of new-energy vehicles and promoting the use of renewable electricity in charging infrastructure. The government aims to create stronger linkages between clean power generation and end-use sectors to maximise the value of renewable energy while reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

The plan forms part of China’s long-term emissions reduction strategy and supports its national goals of peaking carbon emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. Rather than focusing solely on adding renewable generation capacity, the new framework seeks to improve the integration and utilisation of clean energy throughout the economy, ensuring that expanding renewable resources are effectively used across industrial, commercial and transportation applications.