Emissions

CHINA’S massive car sector is on track to bring its climate-warming carbon dioxide emissions to a peak by 2027 but on current trends it is unlikely to meet the country’s 2060 “net zero” target, environment group Greenpeace said this week. The sector’s total carbon emissions are likely to plateau at 1.75 billion tons, and will steadily drop 11% by 2035, Greenpeace estimated in a research report. But it will need to cut emissions by at least 20% by 2035 if it is to stay on track towards net zero by 2060, Greenpeace said. China needs to bring zero emissions vehicle sales to 63% by 2030 and 87% by 2035 if it is to meet its targets, the environmental group estimated. “The ideal response is for car makers in China to completely phase out internal combustion engine vehicles by 2030,” said Bao Hang, project leader for Greenpeace Asia in Beijing. Chinese sales of battery-powered electric vehicles, plug-in petrol-electric hybrids and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles grew 157.5% to 3.52 million units in 2021, official data showed.