Economy 5 min read By Callum Montgomery
China's Clean Energy Exports Hit Record Levels as Demand Surges Worldwide
China is exporting record volumes of clean energy technologies amid the energy crisis caused by the war in Iran, which, according to CREA estimates, could prevent emissions of about 24 percent of global CO2.
China is exporting record volumes of clean energy equipment as the energy crisis caused by the war in Iran fuels growing demand for renewable energy. According to a report published on Thursday by the Finland-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), this year's exports, once installed, could prevent about 450 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. That is roughly equal to Brazil's annual emissions.
Analysts call this an important shift in global energy prospects. "This is a turning point for global energy and global emissions outlooks," said Lauri Myllyvirta of CREA. "We are seeing the growth of clean energy far faster than anyone predicted just a few years ago." He said demand has turned out to be much stronger than expected.
China is the world's largest supplier of renewable energy equipment, from solar panels and wind turbines to electric vehicles and batteries. Most of the production is sold domestically, but a significant share is exported. In the first nine months of 2026, CREA recorded year-on-year growth in exports of electric vehicles by 61 percent, wind turbine shipments by 45 percent, battery exports by 39 percent, and sales of solar equipment abroad by 22 percent.
Southeast Asia has been a major destination. According to the independent global energy think tank Ember, clean energy exports from China to the region rose by almost 160 percent compared with the previous year as of September. According to the research firm Atlas Public Policy, the value of Chinese electric vehicle exports reached $72.8 billion in the first nine months of this year, compared with $39.7 billion in the same period last year.
If these trends hold through the end of 2026, CREA estimates that over the lifecycle of all clean technologies exported by China this year, about 8,400 million metric tons of carbon dioxide could be avoided. That is roughly 24 percent of annual global emissions, exceeding the combined emissions of the United States and India. The estimate is based on export data, the characteristics of importing countries' power systems, and Chinese emissions during production. Independent experts said the estimate matches the scale of China's exports but were unable to verify the data independently.
Despite higher tariffs introduced by President Donald Trump, Chinese clean technology exports to the United States for January–September rose 13 percent compared with the previous year. China is simultaneously the world's largest supplier of clean energy equipment and the largest global source of carbon emissions. Ember analyst Mui Yang compared China's energy transition to replacing the engine of a ship that continues to sail at sea.
Major disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global oil and gas supplies normally pass, hit import-dependent Asian countries the hardest. According to Yu Sung Chin of the Zero Carbon Analytics research group, the new interest in clean energy is likely to persist after the war ends. Consumers in Southeast Asia are paying more for electricity and fuel and are choosing alternatives, including rooftop solar panels.
Laos, Thailand and Vietnam have introduced various incentives for installing solar systems and buying electric vehicles to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels. The Philippines adopted similar measures and in the first quarter of 2026 became the second-largest destination for Chinese solar equipment exports. Indonesia has pledged to install 100 gigawatts of solar power by 2029.
"The surge in clean energy policy in Southeast Asia shows that a paradigm shift is under way," Chin said. She said that because the region is among the most vulnerable to climate impacts, every emissions reduction matters for limiting the rise in global temperature.
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