The People's Republic of China has long been thought of as a country that treats its environment poorly, thanks to overpopulation and overdevelopment, historically lax food and water regulations, infamous smog in cities like Beijing, and its status as the world's largest greenhouse gas emitter. But around the start of 2017, China has taken steps to transform its image from top polluter to green energy leader.

First, China's central government has announced plans for an environmental police force tasked with enforcing pollution regulations around Beijing. Xinhua, the state-run news agency, said that Beijing's last coal-powered power plant will be closed in 2017, the region's coal consumption would be cut by 30 percent this year, heavily polluting factories would be shut down, and new emissions regulations would aim to make vehicles more fuel-efficient. The environmental police force has the goal of improving the terrible air quality of Beijing and neighboring areas.

Second, China's green energy industry has experienced record growth recently. A five-year plan released by the government in January detailed goals to cut carbon emissions and increase renewable energy production. Two targets include limiting coal consumption to 2014 levels and increasing clean energy to 15% of total energy consumption by 2022. In particular, wind and solar energy are projected to play a larger role in energy use.

Third, China is in the process of building the world's largest solar farm on the Tibetan plateau. The Longyangxia Dam Solar Park will be 27 square kilometers, cost $6 billion yuan, and produce 850 megawatts of power. The project is being undertaken as part of China's commitment to the historic Paris Climate Agreement. After helping finance a solar farm in Pakistan in 2015, China will also be exploring more clean energy investments in foreign countries.

Finally, in January China's energy agency announced an ambitious energy plan to invest more than $360 billion on renewable energy through 2020. In addition, the plan would create more than 13 million jobs in green energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and smog in China's cities, and help delay the deadly effects of climate change. In order to achieve such goals, China must negotiate with its politically powerful fossil fuel industries. A promising sign is that China's recent investments in wind and solar energy have already lowered costs to be competitive with nonrenewable sources like coal and natural gas.

As the new US administration continues its unprecedented denial of climate science and threatens the Paris accord, the world could look to China as a leader in environmental innovation and the fight against climate change. Regardless of whether global leadership is a goal, China's energy plans and policies will make life better for its almost 1.4 billion citizens, most of whom live near the coasts where the perils of climate change and rising sea levels are greatest.