Illustration: Liu Xidan/GT

The latest report from UK-based energy think tank Ember shows that China's consumer goods trade-in program could cut electricity use for residential cooling during peak summer months by as much as 4.1 percent. That's enough electricity saved to power Iceland for an entire year. The reduction could also help households save up to $943 million in electricity bills. The report is a "validation" of China's latest nationwide campaign to boost consumption by encouraging the replacement of old consumer goods, which boosts domestic consumption and contributes to global energy conservation. The findings make clear that in the process of advancing the global green transition, China offers not just action but also solutions.

At a time when global climate action is often criticized as being empty rhetoric, China is turning emission reduction goals commitment into reality through policy design. Subsidies for home appliances are based on energy efficiency ratings: 20 percent for top-tier (Grade 1), 15 percent for second-tier (Grade 2), and none for lower-rated models. This targeted approach encourages consumers to replace outdated energy-hungry products with high-efficiency new alternatives. These policies are delivering tangible results. Data shows that in the trade-in program, Grade 1 energy-efficient appliances account for as high as 90 percent of total sales. The trade-in program not only stimulates domestic demand but also quietly brings green, low-carbon living into everyday households - allowing consumers to enjoy higher-quality lifestyles while contributing to sustainability. 

At the same time, the policy pushes companies to increase investment in technological upgrades, turning "environmental responsibility" into a "business choice" and driving a "green revolution" across the production and supply chain.

The trade-in program has not only injected new momentum into the country's green development, but also offered a valuable model for the global fight against climate change - demonstrating that boosting consumption and reducing emissions can achieve "win-win" situation. Today, China plays an increasingly vital role in the global energy transition. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), China built the world's largest, fastest-growing renewable energy system, with one out of every three kilowatt-hours of electricity consumed nationwide coming from green energy sources. China's energy consumption per unit of GDP decreased by 11.6 percent over four years, equivalent to a reduction of 1.1 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions. 

According to the BBC, for the first time, China saw its emissions decline in the 12 months up to May 2025, even as demand for power across the Chinese economy grew rapidly. Looking ahead, China will continue to make progress in accelerating the deployment of new energy installations and upgrading technologies in low-carbon power plants. Its commitment to achieving the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals is evident to all. 

Climate change is a global challenge for all of humanity. China has not been content with simply being a "top student," but has taken bold steps to act as a "pioneer" of solutions.

At present, China is carrying out cooperation with over 100 countries and regions through initiatives such as the construction of green Belt and Road Initiative. Projects like the Karot Hydropower Plant in Pakistan and the Adama wind farms in Ethiopia have enabled many developing countries to embark on the path of sustainable energy transition. China's "green manufacturing" is increasingly recognized as the engine of the global energy transition. Chinese companies produce around 60 percent of the world's wind turbines, about 70 percent of new electric vehicle battery, and approximately 80 percent of solar panels, making a substantial contribution to curbing global emissions.

From the outset, China's policy-backed trade-in program has had green transformation as one of its core goals, with a clear low-carbon orientation embedded in its top-level design. Today, China has gradually established a well-developed and strong systematic engineering framework for emissions reduction - spanning policies, technologies, industries, consumption and finance - forming a trend of comprehensive systematized green substitution. The trade-in program is part of China's broader push for a comprehensive green transformation of its economy and society. It aligns with the goal of "constantly meeting people's aspirations for a better life" and seamlessly connects with the global urgency for energy transition and climate action. 

This summer, heatwaves have swept through many countries in the Northern Hemisphere, and extreme weather events have become frequent and intense. As a result, addressing climate change and advancing the global green transition have become urgent tasks for mankind, and no country can remain immune. China's rapidly growing green technologies and production capacity is, in essence, an essential support for global sustainable development, not the so-called "threat" imagined by some Western politicians. Countries should abandon zero-sum thinking and protectionism, and instead pursue broad international cooperation based on comparative advantages. Only through solidarity and collaboration, rather than suspicion and confrontation, can we seize the historic opportunity of green development and promote global sharing of green technologies and experiences.

At a time when some developed countries are wavering or even "hit the brakes" and "put the car in reverse" on energy transition policies, China's continued efforts to develop, use, and promote renewable energy are especially valuable. 

The trade-in program represents a perfect convergence of industrial upgrading, improving people's livelihoods, and fulfilling emissions reduction commitments by the Chinese government. It offers a feasible and reference-worthy solution for global climate governance. What is being traded in is not just old appliances or vehicles for new air conditioners and cars, but a cleaner, more sustainable green future.