The Executive Summary of the CETO2025 launched at COP 30
On November 13, 2025, the workshop on China Energy Transformation and New Energy Development was successfully held at the China Pavilion of the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) in Belém, Brazil. The Energy Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Macroeconomic Research (ERI of AMR) launched the Executive Summary of the China Energy Transformation Outlook 2025 (CETO2025) at the side event. The workshop was guided by the New and Renewable Energy Department of the National Energy Administration (NEA) and the Department of International Exchanges and Cooperation of Counsellors’ Office of the State Council, PRC., co-organised by the ERI of AMR and the State Grid Energy Research Institute (SGERI), and supported by the Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Tsinghua University, and the Research Institute for Environmental Innovation (Suzhou), Tsinghua.
Group photo
Liu Zhenmin, China Special Envoy for Climate Change; Ole Thonke, Climate Ambassador of Denmark; Zheng Hongying, Vice Chairman of Counsellors’ Office of the State Council; Wang Shancheng, Director General of the Department of Resource Conservation and Environmental Protection at National Development and Reform Commission of China (NDRC); Francesco La Camera, Director General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA); Carolina Grottera, Undersecretary for Ecological Transformation at the Ministry of Finance of Brazil; Li Chuangjun, Director General of the New and Renewable Energy Department at NEA of China; and Xiong Minfeng, Deputy Director General of the International Cooperation Department at NEA, attended the meeting and delivered opening remarks. The Director General of the ERI of AMR, Lyu Wenbin, moderated the side event.
Liu Zhenmin, China Special Envoy for Climate Change
Liu Zhenmin, China Special Envoy for Climate Change, pointed out that promoting low-carbon development and realising energy transformation are major decisions by China to meet domestic demand for high-quality development and fulfil its obligations to address global climate change. Countries need to strengthen solidarity, enhance mutual trust, and deepen cooperation to continue implementing the Paris Agreement over the next decade and advance the process of a global energy just transition initiated by COP28. He said that the CETO2025 report to be released at this side event is an important model for international cooperation to address climate change and build mutual consensus. We look forward to seeing all participants at this side event focusing on the systemic and global challenges in the energy transition and jointly exploring forward-looking, pragmatic, and innovative solutions.
Ole Thonke, Climate Ambassador of Denmark
Ole Thonke, Denmark’s Climate Ambassador, said that international cooperation is more important than ever, and the green transition has become a core topic in the relationship between Denmark and China. The two countries have a long history of exchanging experiences and learning from each other to accelerate the green transition process and reduce transition costs. As a result of the cooperation, the CETO2025 report outlines China’s path to achieving its dual-carbon goal, bridges the gap between vision and action, and provides valuable experience for all parties.
Zheng Hongying, Vice Chairman of the Counsellors’ Office of the State Council, PRC
Zheng Hongying, Vice Chairman of the Counsellors’ Office of the State Council, PRC, said China is an active participant, a significant contributor, and a key leader in global climate governance. The new round of China’s NDCs announced in September, which for the first time put forward a package of economy-wide greenhouse gas net-zero emissions reduction targets to address climate change after the carbon peaking stage, signalled China’s entry into a new, more systematic and comprehensive low-carbon and resilient development process, and will make a positive contribution to the Paris Agreement.
Wang Shancheng, Director General of the Department of Resource Conservation and Environmental Protection at NDRC
Wang Shancheng, Director General of the Department of Resource Conservation and Environmental Protection at NDRC, introduced the white paper China’s Action on Peak Carbon and Carbon Neutrality recently released by the State Council Information Office, proposing that China, based on its local conditions and stage of development, has strived to implement renewable energy substitution of fossil fuels, promoted the construction of a new-type energy system and a new-type power system. China has made greater efforts in energy conservation and energy efficiency improvement, stepping onto a path consistent with China’s national conditions while responding to global development trends and requirements. He said China will take a more active stance to participate in and lead global climate governance, strengthen cooperation and exchanges with the international community, and jointly respond to climate change.
Francesco La Camera, Director General of IRENA
Francesco La Camera, Director General of IRENA, said that ERI’s work on demand forecasting, long-term system planning, energy pricing, efficiency and climate policy offers valuable insights that extend far beyond China. China’s success story speaks to a global reality: we have entered a phase where the question is no longer why renewables, but how to deliver the energy transition at industrial scale, with systems that are fit for purpose. China’s evolving energy system, and the analytical work that supports it, continues to provide learnings that may around the world are now watching very closely.
Carolina Grottera, Undersecretary for Ecological Transformation at the Ministry of Finance of Brazil
Carolina Grottera, Undersecretary for Ecological Transformation at the Ministry of Finance of Brazil, said that China and Brazil are working closely together in promoting the decarbonisation of the global value chain, and that China is helping to achieve the goals of the global Paris Agreement, from policy design and industrial development at the local level to supporting the establishment of a strategic centre for energy transition.
Li Chuangjun, Director General of the New and Renewable Energy Department at NEA of China
Xiong Minfeng, Deputy Director General of the International Cooperation Department at NEA
Xiong Minfeng, Deputy Director General of the International Cooperation Department at NEA of China, pointed out that China’s energy transition is injecting strong momentum for global green and low-carbon development. In the face of global issues such as climate change and energy transition, it is difficult for any country to do it alone, and all countries need to work together to maintain a smooth supply chain of the global energy industry chain, safeguard energy security and market stability, and accelerate the promotion of energy development and transition.
Lyu Wenbin, Director General of the ERI of AMR
Lyu Wenbin, Director General of the ERI of AMR, pointed out during the hosting session that China will fully implement the dual-control system of total carbon emissions and carbon emission intensity, continue to promote the high-quality development of new energy, and accelerate the construction of a new-type energy system. Looking ahead, China will continue to deepen international cooperation on energy transformation, jointly shape a fair and just, balanced and inclusive global energy governance system, and contribute Chinese wisdom and Chinese programmes to build a community of human destiny.
Bai Quan, Director of the Energy Efficiency Centre of the ERI of AMR
In the launch of the outcome’s session, Bai Quan, Director of the Energy Efficiency Centre of the ERI of AMR, released the executive summary of the CETO2025 report. The report emphasises the need to prioritise energy conservation in both the fossil and renewable energy eras. It presents conclusions from analyses, including dividing China’s power system evolution into five phases based on wind and solar power generation shares. The report calls for nations to join hands to uphold multilateralism and deepen international cooperation, translating long-term visions and international commitments into concrete project arrangements and pragmatic actions amid accelerating global transformations and the escalating climate crisis.
Li Chuangjun, Director General of the New and Renewable Energy Department at NEA of China
Li Chuangjun, Director General of the New and Renewable Energy Department at NEA of China, released the China Electricity Green Certificate Development Report, which explains the historical development of China’s green certificates, and comprehensively introduces China’s green certificates in terms of issuance, transaction, application, international mutual recognition and strong system support by focusing on the improvement of the institutional system, significant improvement in the quality of certification and issuance, sustained enhancement of market dynamics, continuous release of the demand for application, and the active promotion of international mutual recognition. It also looked forward to the future development prospects of green certificates.
Liu Jun, Director of Strategy and Planning Research Institute, SGERI (left); Yao Xin, Vice President of the Research Institute for Environmental Innovation (Suzhou), Tsinghua (right)
Liu Jun, Director of Strategy and Planning Research Institute at SGERI, released the China Energy and Electricity Outlook 2025 (Executive Summary). Yao Xin, Vice President of the Research Institute for Environmental Innovation (Suzhou), Tsinghua, released the Report on the Development of Waste Recycling and Utilisation in Emerging Industries (2025) and the application practice of carbon accounts in Quzhou City.
Thematic speech
In the thematic speech session, Liu Qiong, Director General of the National Energy Conservation Center, shared case studies of energy conservation and carbon reduction in China across four levels: policy, industry, local government and enterprise. Ole Emmik Sorensen, Director of the Center for Global Cooperation at the Danish Energy Agency (DEA), introduced Denmark’s experience in global energy transition cooperation. Cui Guangsheng, Deputy Division Director of the New and Renewable Energy Department at NEA of China, introduced the achievements in China’s green electricity certificates and green power development. Zhang Hongwu, Counsellor of the State Council and Professor at the Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Tsinghua University, shared his experience on Scientific Innovation to Address Climate Change, Reduce Energy Consumption, and Promote Energy Transformation. Kaare Sandholt, Chief International Expert of the China Energy Transformation (CET) Programme, introduced the power decarbonisation pathway in Europe. Zhou Wu, Deputy Director General of the Qinghai Provincial Energy Bureau, shared Qinghai’s energy transition practices. Wang Yaohua, Deputy General Manager of the SGERI, introduced the development of variable renewable energy and the path to enhancing the regulation capacity of power systems in China. Peng Tianduo, Director of Research on Transportation and Industrial Transition at the Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Tsinghua University, shared the experience in planning and operations of electrolytic hydrogen-based iron and steel production in China.
Kaare Sandholt, Chief International Expert of the CET Programme, moderates the panel discussion
The panel discussion was moderated by Kaare Sandholt, Chief International Expert of the CET Programme. Wang Yi, Research Professor of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Jane Cohen, Senior Programme Manager of People-Centred Clean Energy Transition at International Energy Agency (IEA); Li Zheng, Dean of the Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Tsinghua University; Simon Sharp, Director of Economics at UNFCCC Climate Champions; Zhu Liyang, President of China Circular Economy Association; and Cai Hongxian, Counsellor of Fujian Provincial Government, former Chairman of State Grid Brazil Holding Company, participated in the panel discussion. They exchanged views and discussed topics such as the legal framework for energy transition, global trends in energy transition, global cooperation in science and technology innovation, power market reform and power prices, material recycling in renewable energy development, extra-high-voltage transmission, and grid-forming energy storage technology.
The side event at China Pavilion, COP30