China and green progress in Asia

For the past two decades, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum, has been reshaping the Asia-Pacific's approach to growth.

- CHEN ZIQI

Since the 2011 Honolulu Leaders' Declaration, Apec has placed “green growth” at the heart of its agenda, showing progress and environmental sustainability don't have to be at odds.

In the 2022 meeting in Bangkok, green initiatives, such as the Bangkok Goals on the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economy, were included in Apec's framework.

Energy lies at the very core of this transformation. As the foundation of both economic expansion and environmental protection, improving energy efficiency has become central to Apec's collective commitments.

In 2011, Apec economies agreed to reduce energy intensity, the amount of energy used per unit of GDP, to 45% by 2035, compared with 2005 levels.

The progress has been impressive. According to the Apec Energy Review 2025, the region is on track to meet the 45% target by 2032, three years ahead of schedule.

Today, Apec economies account for about 56% of global energy demand and 60% of CO2 emissions.

Despite challenges such as the post-pandemic rebound in energy use and global market disruptions, the region's collective efforts have already avoided billions of tonnes of emissions and saved trillions of dollars in energy costs.

China's green transition has made it a major force within Apec's broader sustainability story. According to the State Council of China, the country's energy consumption per unit of GDP dropped by 11.6% between 2021 and 2024, a reduction equivalent to around 1.1 billion tonnes of CO², or nearly half the European Union's annual emissions.