| By Dan Murtaugh and Shadab Nazmi China’s whirlwind economic expansion and endless appetite for polluting fuels — particularly coal — have been intertwined for decades. As annual gross domestic product, in current US dollars, jumped from about $361 billion in 1990 to around $14.7 trillion by 2020, the nation’s coal consumption quadrupled and carbon dioxide emissions more than tripled. When China surpassed Japan as the second biggest economy in 2010, it was already responsible for a quarter of global carbon pollution and has continued to expand that footprint, accounting for more than 30% of last year’s total. The acceleration from China has been so rapid that its share of all global emissions since 1850 is already roughly equal to the 27 European Union nations combined — countries that in many cases began their industrialization at least a century earlier.  A solar thermal power station at the Dunhuang Photovoltaic Industrial Park in Dunhuang, Gansu Province, in October. Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg Now the factors that have propelled China’s climate-wrecking spree appear to be retreating. An unprecedented adoption of solar, wind and other clean power sources has begun to limit the country’s coal consumption. Just as importantly, a sagging economy that saw growth slow in the third quarter to the weakest pace in 18 months has cooled the most emissions-intensive corners of heavy industry like steel and cement. And President Xi Jinping’s long-term strategy is for a permanent shift from polluting sectors to cleaner, high-tech manufacturing That combination has put China on course for a scenario considered almost inconceivable at the start of this decade — the country’s carbon emissions may already have peaked, well ahead of Xi’s 2030 deadline. You can read the full story for free on Bloomberg.com. Also, check out Bloomberg Original’s weekly doc on China’s potential emissions milestone. At COP29 in Baku, Akshat Rathi was joined on stage at Bloomberg Green’s live event by Ali Zaidi, the White House national climate advisor. Zaidi argued that it would be “economic malpractice” for the Trump administration to abandon the energy transition. Plus, veteran climate diplomat Jonathan Pershing explained why he believes global competition will result in an “acceleration of action” on green policy. Listen now, and subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube to get new episodes of Zero every Thursday. To give you an idea on how hectic climate talks can get, take a look at Susana Muhamad, Colombia's environment minister. On Thursday we found her typing up the draft of a statement she was about to read at a press conference. One of her support staff held the laptop as leaders of the developing group negotiating parties looked on. COPs present many spontaneous moments when the normal diplomatic rules are suspended, but even by that standard this was an unusual moment.  Photographer: Akshat Rathi/Bloomberg | 
