China, the world's top emitter of carbon dioxide, has seen a decrease in its emissions over the past three quarters, but it's not clear how long it will last.
A new analysis of China's economic data shows that carbon emissions dropped 1.4% in the first three months of the year, making it the third consecutive quarter to show a drop, and the longest sustained dip in a decade.
Over the winter, the downward trend accelerated. The decline was not as bad this spring.
It is not clear if China will continue to reduce emissions this year. Five shorter dips were followed by a rebound in emissions.
According to an analysis by a climate and energy analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, China's recent emissions decline was driven by decreased output in cement, steel and power industries.
Policy changes on real estate lending and debt have at least temporarily depressed the construction sector in China, which is the second and third largest emitting sectors.
China has a long-term goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2060, but it depends on how the power sector performs.
The second largest economy can move away from coal quickly.
China's leaders have recently doubled down on plans to promote coal-fired power, calling for coal production capacity to increase by 300 million tons this year.
In an interview with the Associated Press in April, Li Shuo, a senior global policy adviser for Greenpeace, said that economic concerns, including those related to China's zero-COVID policy, meant that China's leaders were focused on energy security over moving away from fossil fuels.
He said that the mentality of ensuring energy security has become dominant.
The United States has contributed a greater share of historic emissions than China.
According to the International Energy Agency, China's carbon emissions increased by 750 megatonnes over the course of two years.
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