{"query_echo":{"q":"","filters":{"climate_tags":["china"]},"warnings":[{"code":"facet_value_not_in_vocabulary","message":"Value 'china' for facet 'climate_tags' is not in the controlled vocabulary."}]},"total":{"value":2,"relation":"eq"},"page":1,"page_size":20,"self":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/api/v1/search?climate_tags=china","stability":"beta","ai_marking":{"digital_source_type":{"uri":"http://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/digitalsourcetype/trainedAlgorithmicMedia","name":"Created using Generative AI"},"notice":"Summary and key insights are generated using artificial intelligence."},"results":[{"id":"ember-000175","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/ember-000175","title":"Coal power transition in China: A discussion paper","publisher":{"name":"Ember","organization":"ember"},"document_type":"research paper","language":"en","date_published":"2022-05-10","source_url":"https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/coal-power-transition-in-china-a-discussion-paper","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","geography_discussed","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"This discussion paper by Ember reviews the development of coal power in China during the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) and proposes policy entry points to transition coal power from a primary energy source to a supportive role providing flexibility and backup capacity for a decarbonised grid.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ember-000175#summary","date_modified":"2026-08-17"},"key_insights":[{"text":"During the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020), China continued to expand its coal power capacity, although the pace was slower than originally planned. This expansion served four primary goals: addressing local supply shortages, replacing inefficient subcritical units with supercritical and ultra-supercritical ones to improve technical efficiency, providing industrial and residential heating to reduce the use of dispersed coal (\"散煤\"), and supporting West-East Electricity Transmission projects to move power from western and southwestern provinces to coastal clusters such as the Pearl River Delta, Yangtze River Delta, and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ember-000175#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-08-17"},{"text":"Several systemic and political factors contributed to the continued growth of coal capacity, including the enthusiasm of local governments for coal projects, quota-based dispatching, and inefficiencies in the carbon market, such as the free or excessive allocation of emissions permits. Additionally, the transition is hindered by the inertia of power system operators and negative externalities where overinvestment leads to lower revenues distributed across all plants.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ember-000175#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-08-17"},{"text":"The report identifies four policy entry points to transition coal power into a supportive role for wind and solar penetration: 1) Unlocking coal from current pathways by addressing sunk costs, local government fervour, and socio-economic concerns in coal-dependent regions; 2) Implementing market reforms, such as capacity payments and strengthening the ancillary services market to manage supply-demand imbalances; 3) Improving coordination between coal and electricity policies to avoid supply shortages like those seen in 2021; and 4) Shifting governance toward a learning-based, reflexive process to manage the complexity of the transition.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ember-000175#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-08-17"},{"text":"The 2021 power crisis demonstrated a lack of coordination between coal and electricity policies. While extreme weather and high demand increased the need for coal power, supply was constrained by measures related to corruption, environmental protection, and mine safety, which were implemented without considering the impact on the electricity system.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ember-000175#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-08-17"}],"climate_tags":["coal","energy transition","decarbonisation","renewable energy","china"],"geography_discussed":["Jing-Jin-Ji","Yangtze Delta","Pearl River Delta"],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["Policy Review","Discussion Paper"]},{"id":"iisd-001501","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/iisd-001501","title":"How to Issue a Green Bond in China ","publisher":{"name":"International Institute for Sustainable Development","organization":"international-institute-for-sustainable-development"},"document_type":"guide","language":"en","date_published":null,"source_url":"https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/how-to-issue-green-bond-china-en.pdf","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","geography_discussed","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"This guide by the International Institute for Sustainable Development provides a step-by-step framework for issuing green bonds in China. It outlines the requirements for qualifying green assets, the necessity of independent verification, the processes for tracking and reporting proceeds, and the specific regulatory bodies responsible for approving different types of bonds. The document emphasizes that any bond type can be 'green' if the proceeds are earmarked for qualifying environmental projects, and it highlights the potential for re-labelling existing bonds in China that already fund green assets.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"iisd-001501#summary","date_modified":"2026-08-17"},"key_insights":[{"text":"Any type of bond can be classified as a Green Bond provided the assets qualify and the proceeds are directed toward green assets or projects. Issuers must disclose these assets and projects and provide at least annual reports on their green credentials.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"iisd-001501#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-08-17"},{"text":"The approval process for bonds in China depends on the specific type of bond: the Ministry of Finance handles local government bonds, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) approves enterprise bonds, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) manages corporate bonds, the National Association of Financial Markets Institutional Investors (NAFMII) handles registration for medium-term notes and commercial paper, and securities exchanges manage registration for SME private placement bonds.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"iisd-001501#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-08-17"},{"text":"Qualifying green projects include a wide range of categories: green buildings (new and existing), industrial efficiency (energy and water conservation, circular economy), clean transport (rail, electric public transport, urban rail transit), clean water and utilities (drinking water, irrigation, river revitalisation), storm adaptation (flood/drought prevention), waste management (waste-to-energy, wastewater treatment), agriculture and bioenergy (organic production, biomass power), forestry (afforestation), and renewable energy (wind, solar, geothermal, tidal, and smart grid projects).","ai_generated":true,"unit":"iisd-001501#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-08-17"},{"text":"Proceeds of a Green Bond can be used for new capital expenditure or existing assets, such as re-financing an operating solar energy plant. For new capital investments, funds must be fully deployed within a maximum of two years. Financial institutions may also use books of green loans as qualifying assets.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"iisd-001501#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-08-17"},{"text":"The document identifies US$164bn of outstanding bonds in China that fund green assets and could be re-labelled as green bonds if reporting and verification procedures are established. The largest categories of these bonds are rail assets and renewable energy, specifically solar power projects.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"iisd-001501#insight-5","date_modified":"2026-08-17"},{"text":"To maintain green bond status, issuers must implement systems to segregate proceeds and ensure the nominal value of the asset pool remains equal to or greater than the bond amount. They must provide annual confirmation via an auditor's letter or an authorized officer's signature and report on the environmental impact of the investments.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"iisd-001501#insight-6","date_modified":"2026-08-17"}],"climate_tags":["green bonds","sustainable finance","renewable energy","energy efficiency","china"],"geography_discussed":["Guangdong"],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["Guide","Policy Framework"]}]}