Executive Director of the International Energy Agency and Turkish economist and energy expert Fatih Birol poses in his office at the IEA headquarters in Paris on Sept 14, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP)

DUBAI - With excellent progress in developing solar and wind power, electric vehicles and power batteries, China is a champion of the world in clean energy, chief of the International Energy Agency (IEA) said here Monday.

Speaking at a side event held at the China Pavilion of the ongoing COP28 climate change conference, IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said it has to be understood that a lot of achievements have been made in China.

The IEA chief particularly praised China's contribution to bringing down prices of clean energy equipment, saying it is of service to other countries

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The IEA chief particularly praised China's contribution to bringing down prices of clean energy equipment, saying it is of service to other countries.

According to a report released by China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment in October, the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption had reached 17.5 percent in the country by the end of last year.

With total installed capacity of renewable energies reaching 1,213 gigawatts in 2022, China has become a global leader in utilizing green and low-carbon energy sources, according to the report.

The country has ranked first in the world for eight consecutive years in the production and sales of new energy vehicles. By the end of June this year, the number of new energy vehicles nationwide reached 16.2 million.

READ MORE: China leads the way in quest to meet clean energy needs

COP28, or the 28th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, is being held here from Nov 30 to Dec 12.

Utilizing green energy resources is one of the most important topics at the climate talks.