As world leaders gathered in Belem, Brazil for COP30, the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference, a quiet transformation began. The global climate agenda gradually started moving from rhetoric to results, and from distant pledges to practical, affordable technologies that can make a real difference. China's experience in developing its national carbon market drew global attention at the conference.

Down-to-earth actions

China is increasingly becoming a pivotal force in global climate governance as the United States retreats and Europe adjusts its approach, Finland's Helsingin Sanomat said in an editorial on November 11.

The Guardian reported André Corrêa do Lago, president of COP30, as saying that more countries should follow China's lead instead of complaining about being outcompeted.

"Somehow the reduction in enthusiasm of the global north is showing that the global south is moving," he told reporters in Belém. "China is coming up with solutions that are for everyone, not just China."

Maya Majueran, director of the Belt and Road Initiative Sri Lanka, an independent and pioneering organization with strong expertise in Belt and Road Initiative advice and support, said China has been promoting green cooperation and technology sharing.

Guided by the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, it is emphasizing sustainable industrialization. From solar panels to clean steel, China's partnerships with developing countries aim to make low-carbon growth both attainable and inclusive, demonstrating that climate progress and development can go hand in hand.

As the United States undermines climate action and Europe grapples with fulfilling its green ambitions, a surprising transformation is unfolding in many large, fast-growing economies, home to the majority of the world's population, a New York Times article said. "Key to this shift is the world's new renewable energy superpower: China. In effect, Chinese industrial policy is shaping the development trajectory of some of the world's fastest-growing economies."

ETS benefits the world

According to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, since 2024, China's emissions trading system (ETS) has expanded to include the steel, cement and aluminum industries. By the end of October 2025, cumulative trading volume exceeded 770 million tons of carbon allowances, with a total value of over 51.8 billion RMB (about 7.3 billion USD).

The voluntary emissions reduction market is also growing rapidly, promoting low-carbon technologies and the monetization of ecological products.

Valerie Hickey, global director for climate change at the World Bank, called China's ETS "a model of steady and expanding growth" and urged the global community to strengthen exchanges to make carbon markets more efficient and inclusive.

Diana Acconcia, director for international affairs and climate finance at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Climate Action, said she was glad to see China enhancing its ETS. The EU is ready to deepen cooperation with China on carbon pricing and support other developing countries in establishing effective systems, she added.