China's continuing green shift in the electric power sector: evidence from 2016 data

Over the past decade, China has been greening its electric power system faster and more thoroughly than any other industrial power. In the course of the years 2007 to 2016, China’s dependence on thermal power capacity declined from 77% to 64%, and can be expected to tip below 50% within another decade if the trend continues. In terms of electricity generated, the contribution of thermal power has dipped from 82% to 72% over the last decade. But it is also true that China’s growth model continues to pump out greenhouse gases. The issue: is the green transformation happening fast enough?