China drives low-carbon transportation growth in 5 years

China's low-carbon transportation efforts have evolved significantly over the past five years, expanding from passenger cars and buses to include heavy-duty vehicles, leading to widespread advancements.

Wu Rui, an expert with the Planning and Research Institute of the Ministry of Transport, made the remarks on Monday at a forum on zero-emissions transportation in Beijing, coinciding with the fifth anniversary of the announcement of China's dual carbon goals.

On Sept 22, 2020, China announced its commitment to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.

"In the past five years, we have seen some very encouraging achievements in the field of transportation," Wu said.

The country has implemented a comprehensive series of initiatives, ranging from top-level strategies to specific policies to promote green, low-carbon transition in the transportation sector, effectively cascading from national to local levels, he said.

"Every step we take involves concrete actions, instead of just paying lip service, or making empty promises," he stressed.

He presented a series of figures to demonstrate China's genuine commitment to a low-carbon transition in the transportation sector.

In 2020, the total number of new energy vehicles in China stood at roughly 4.9 million, Wu highlighted. By the first half of 2025, however, this figure had jumped to 36.89 million.

The renewable transition has also expanded significantly to include heavy-duty vehicles such as trucks, engineering machinery, and ships, he added.

He stated that there are now over 1,000 new energy ships operating in China's inland waterways, and this number is expected to increase rapidly as the country continues to implement its large-scale equipment renewal policy.

Meanwhile, he said 2,000 outdated ships were dismantled last year, making room for new energy vessels.

He observed that China's new energy vehicle sector now includes not only electric power but also hydrogen and biodiesel, each benefiting from strong research support and significant industry focus.