In 2020, the Chinese coal chemical industry processed nearly one quarter of national coal throughput, and accounted for about 5.4 per cent of national CO2 emissions. Yet the coal chemicals’ industry ability to limit oil and gas imports is appealing to the Chinese leadership in the context of...

As the power sector is the largest GHG emitter, it is important to investigate the fuels used in this sector. In 2023, coal was the primary source of electricity supply, accounting for 35.9%. Natural gas came in second, representing 23%. Asia has the largest number of coal plants in operation,...

China’s “Shuangtan” (dual carbon) pledge is the most consequential climate commitment made by the Chinese government. Announced in September 2020, it commits China to reaching peak CO2 emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. With the nature of the Chinese policy system, however,...

China’s low-carbon energy transition depends on the power sector taking the lead. In this assessment, we seek to answer three questions about China’s power sector transformation: (1) Is the power sector transition on track, in terms of non-fossil and renewable capacity and output? (2) Are...