How the world is catching up to and surpassing California’s clean tech sector

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By Andrew Chang, San Francisco Chronicle. 

Excerpt: ...Some of the most exciting and impactful climate tech revolutions today are happening beyond the U.S. — they’re unfolding in China and emerging markets like Vietnam and Pakistan. ...Long derided for its coal dependence, [China] now leads the world in clean energy deployment. In 2024 alone, China added 277 gigawatts of new solar capacity — a 45% jump from the year before. That’s more than the entire installed solar capacity of the United States. On a recent trip to Shanghai, I hopped into a taxi and was told we’d need to make a quick stop to swap the battery. I started to object, assuming it would take a while — but the driver just smiled and said, “Three minutes.” We pulled into a battery swapping station, scanned a QR code and drove onto an elevated platform. In less time than a coffee run, we were back on the road — fully charged. It was fast, seamless and completely routine.... 

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How will China impact the future of climate change? You might be surprised

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