Is China secretly saving the world from climate catastrophe?
In this episode of Saving the World from Bad Ideas, Mark Lynas is joined by Lauri Myllyvirta, Lead Analyst and Co-Founder of the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), to examine Bad Idea #31: “Climate crisis? It’s China that’s the problem!”
As one of the world’s most trusted analysts on China’s energy system, Lauri explains why this narrative is outdated — and how China’s clean-energy boom has become the most important climate story on the planet.
They dig into China’s extraordinary expansion of solar, wind, batteries, EVs and long-distance transmission lines; the politics behind continued coal-plant construction; the country’s dramatic air-pollution turnaround; and the global consequences if China’s emissions really have peaked.
🧠 Topics Discussed:
● 🔥 The “bad idea”: China will always burn more coal
● 📉 Why China’s CO₂ emissions have been stable or declining for 18 months
● ☀️ The solar boom: 100 solar panels installed per second
● ⚡ China’s new clean electricity each year = powering the UK twice
● 🏭 Why coal plants are still being built — and why many may sit idle
● 🪫 Battery deployment hitting 100 GW, transforming grid flexibility
● 🚗 EVs: 50% of new car sales and eating into China’s oil demand
● 🛻 The rise of electric heavy trucks and buses
● 🌬️ Wind, solar and nuclear in China’s power mix
● 🌁 China’s dramatic air-quality turnaround — and the global warming side-effects
● 🌎 Why China’s decarbonisation is now shaping global energy trends
● 🐉 Geopolitics: US decline, China’s clean-tech dominance
● 📊 Data transparency in China and how Lauri tracks the numbers
● 🔋 Solar + batteries as the cheapest power in world history
👨🏫 Guest Bio:
Lauri Myllyvirta is the Lead Analyst and Co-Founder of the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). A globally respected expert on China’s energy system, he publishes widely in international media and frequently contributes analysis to Carbon Brief. Lauri previously worked with Greenpeace and has over a decade of experience tracking air-pollution, fossil-fuel and clean-energy trends across Asia.
More about Lauri’s work:
● CREA – https://energyandcleanair.org/
● Lauri on Carbon Brief – https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-chinas-co2-emissions-have-now-been-flat-or-falling-for-18-months/
📚 Recommended Reading & Resources:
● CREA – China emissions & energy analysis – https://energyandcleanair.org/ ● Lauri’s latest China emissions report – https://www.energyconnects.com/news/renewables/2025/november/china-s-september-emissions-drop-keeps-annual-decline-in-play/
● Carbon Brief: China energy & climate coverage – https://www.carbonbrief.org/category/china/
● Bloomberg: China’s clean-energy boom – https://www.bloomberg.com/green
● IEA World Energy Outlook – https://www.iea.org/weo
● China solar deployment data (NEA) – http://www.nea.gov.cn/
● China EV market overview (CPCA) – https://www.cpcaauto.com/
💬 Quote Highlights:
“China’s clean-energy boom is the biggest climate story in the world right now.” — Lauri Myllyvirta
“Solar additions this year alone can power the entire UK — twice.”
“Electric cars in China are already cutting into oil demand.” “China has the ability to peak emissions now — the question is political, not technical.”
“Air pollution improved faster in China than anyone predicted — and it shows what fast action looks like.”
“China didn’t just decarbonise itself — it made clean energy cheap for the whole world.”
🌐 About WePlanet:
WePlanet is a global citizen and science movement challenging bad ideas and championing evidence-based solutions for climate, nature, and human development. Learn more at https://weplanet.org
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