An article published by the Nikkei Asia Review on the 22nd pointed out that China published more research papers on climate change than the US in 2023, and expanded its leading advantage the next year. This trend highlights the continuous growth of China’s global influence, while the US is gradually withdrawing from this field.
Screenshot of the Nikkei Asia Review article
The article pointed out that Nikkei News analyzed approximately 650,000 papers with “climate change” as the keyword in the Scopus international research literature database, which is owned by Dutch publisher Elsevier. These papers span from 1992 to 2024.
In 2023, Chinese research institutions published about 14,000 research papers on climate change, while the number of papers published by US institutions was 13,000. In 2024, the gap further expanded. Of the 77,000 climate-related papers published worldwide that year, China contributed about 17,000 papers, while the number of papers published by the US was only around 14,000.
Screenshot of the Nikkei Asia Review article
Meanwhile, in 2024, China occupied 8 of the top 10 institutions in the field of climate change research, with the Chinese Academy of Sciences taking the top spot with about 4,000 papers. Followed by the Chinese Ministry of Education and the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The article also stated that the number of citations of Chinese climate change research papers in other literature is also increasing significantly – an important indicator of research quality. From 2004 to 2024, China surpassed the US and took the lead in the most highly cited papers for the first time in 2022.
The article quoted the views of Professor Jiang Senqingtai from Tokyo University and climate change expert, pointing out that China’s research capabilities are showing a strong upward trend in various fields, and its international influence in climate change research will continue to expand.
The article also noted that in recent years, China has actively promoted low-carbon transformation. According to data from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and other departments, as of the fourth quarter of 2024, China’s electric vehicle production accounted for 55% of global electric vehicle sales, with significant growth in market share in Europe and Asia. In 2023, China’s solar and wind power generation accounted for 50% of the country’s total power generation.
However, the US is gradually abandoning its role as a major contributor to climate change research. The Trump administration’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 will significantly cut funding for research institutions in this field. The US government has also banned its experts from participating in assessments by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which will further weaken its influence in this field.