This year’s climate summit in Belém is unfolding against an unusual backdrop. The United States has stepped back from global climate commitments, Europe is tied down by slow growth and political hesitation, and yet many fast-growing economies are accelerating their shift to clean energy. The momentum is coming from countries that once argued they were too poor to transition quickly. They are now adopting renewable energy at a pace that few expected, the New York Times reported.
How cheap Chinese technology is driving the shift
China has rapidly expanded production of solar panels, wind turbines and electric-vehicle batteries, to the point where its domestic market no longer absorbs everything it makes. The result is a flood of low-cost equipment flowing to countries hungry for energy security. From Vietnam and Brazil to Nigeria and Nepal, Chinese factories and exports are enabling governments to add clean power at prices they could not match before. This is turning China into the key industrial force behind the world’s renewable rollout.
Why emerging economies are seizing the moment
Many developing countries now see renewables as the fastest way to cut their dependence on imported fossil fuels. Nations like Ethiopia and Nepal are leapfrogging straight into electric mobility by slashing taxes on battery-powered vehicles and restricting petrol-car imports. Brazil is using tariffs to force Chinese carmakers to build electric-vehicle plants locally. Morocco has carved out a role as a battery-manufacturing hub for Europe. These shifts reflect both economic urgency and a new confidence in cleaner technologies.
India’s role in this changing landscape
India arrived at COP30 pointing to major progress. Half of its electricity demand can now be met by wind, solar and hydropower, and it reached its Paris Agreement targets years ahead of schedule. Even though India is cautious about relying on Chinese imports, it is adopting elements of China’s industrial strategy by offering incentives for domestic solar manufacturing and large-scale renewable expansion. This combination of economic self-interest and climate ambition has strengthened India’s influence at the summit.
Why this is not the full solution
Despite the rapid rise in clean energy, these countries still depend heavily on coal, oil and gas. India and China continue to build coal plants, Indonesia remains a major coal exporter and Brazil plans to expand offshore oil production. The new renewable capacity does not erase these realities. Instead, it shows how complex the transition will be: a blend of fossil fuels that still anchor many economies and renewables that are now growing too fast to ignore.
How China’s dominance is unsettling the West
With Chinese exports of solar panels, wind turbines and batteries hitting record levels, the United States and Europe worry about being outcompeted in industries they hoped to lead. Yet at COP30, many emerging nations show little interest in this geopolitical rivalry. For them,
cheaper green technology means faster development and lower energy bills. They see China less as a threat and more as the supplier that finally made renewables affordable.
Why the world’s climate strategy now looks different
A decade ago, rich nations urged developing countries to curb emissions, promising financial help that never fully arrived. Today, the economics have flipped. Clean energy is no longer held back by high prices or limited supply. For many governments, it is now the cheapest growth path available. That shift is changing who drives progress, who sets the pace and where climate leadership might emerge next.
The bottom line
China’s industrial surge has unexpectedly empowered emerging economies to expand renewable energy faster than ever before. While it has not solved the climate crisis, it has altered the global map of influence. At COP30, the countries once seen as obstacles to climate action are increasingly shaping the world’s transition, on their own terms and with their own priorities.
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