“Why is the rest of the world so slow?”

China is known as an industrial powerhouse, but that title benefits the Earth because the country is setting an example for the world in building a sustainable energy infrastructure.

The Guardian has shared details from a new report published by the Global Energy Monitor, which shows that China is the world leader in renewable energy development, with 180 gigawatts of utility-scale solar and 159 gigawatts of wind under construction, for a total of 339GW.

Those numbers represent 30% of all proposed solar and wind projects underway, far outpacing the global construction rate of 7%. What’s more, as the article notes, the GEM report only includes large solar and wind projects of 20 and 10 megawatts or more, respectively. If you add in small-scale installations, the total output could be much larger than the data indicates.

This means China is on track to achieve its 1,200 gigawatt capacity target by 2024, a full six years ahead of its original plan.

This is not surprising, as the country continues to set records. Its penchant for big projects has led to the world’s largest solar farm, the largest floating wind-power platform and the construction of some exceptionally massive turbines.

Other countries are joining forces with China to benefit from its leading position in the industry, as exemplified by a deal to build a large solar power plant in Nicaragua.

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The data shows the U.S. comes in second, with just 40 gigawatts of sustainable projects underway, but things are moving at a faster pace. The Biden-Harris administration has authorized more than 25 gigawatts of clean energy projects on public lands, a full 18 months ahead of the 2025 target date.

It’s encouraging news that the global renewable energy industry is stepping up to combat the side effects of planet-warming pollution. Furthermore, global spending on clean energy is expected to be twice as high as on other forms of energy, signaling a positive trend away from dirty fuels.

China sets the global standard for manufacturing, with wind and solar power now accounting for 37% of the country’s total power capacity, according to GEM data, a significant increase from previous years.

As Li Shuo, director of the China Climate Hub at the Asia Policy Institute in Washington, shared in the article: “Of course, it is important for China to continue adding more renewable energy to meet its goals. But the question we should increasingly be asking ourselves is: Why is the rest of the world so slow?”

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