With China’s withdrawal from overseas coal, the pipeline for new coal in Asia could drop to 22 GW — all of which will likely not be built

China's commitment to cease overseas coal financing could remove two-thirds of the pre-construction coal pipeline in Asia, reducing it from over 65 GW to 22 GW. This shift, aligned with similar pledges from Japan, South Korea, and G20 nations, makes the remaining projects unlikely to be completed due to a lack of available capital. The report argues that cancelling these remaining projects would save US$27 billion in capital costs and avoid 103 million tons of annual CO2 emissions.

• China's pledge to stop building new coal-fired power projects abroad could eliminate two-thirds of the pre-construction coal pipeline in Asian countries outside of China and India, reducing the planned capacity from over 65 GW to 22 GW across eight countries.
• The impact of international financing withdrawals has been immediate, with no coal power stations in the pre-construction stage reaching financial close in 2021, a sharp decline from the US$11 billion invested in 2020 and US$10 billion in 2019.
• Cancelling the remaining 22 GW of planned coal capacity would prevent approximately 103 million tons of annual CO2 emissions—comparable to Bangladesh's total 2019 emissions—and save over US$27 billion in capital costs.
• In Indonesia, a significant portion of the coal pipeline is driven by the nickel-refining industry. Approximately 3.58 GW of planned coal capacity is intended for nickel refining, adding to 3.16 GW already in use, often funded by Chinese state-owned financial institutions.
• Bangladesh has significantly reduced its coal pipeline by cancelling 15 plants (3.9 GW) in 2021; China's withdrawal is expected to scrap an additional 8.6 GW, leaving only two pre-construction projects, one of which is the 1.2 GW Matarbari-2 plant.
• Vietnam's coal pipeline remains substantial but faces low implementation rates. While the draft Power Development Plan (PDP8) allocated over 30 GW of coal for 2021-2040, many projects are postponed or lack firm financing, and the country has committed to stop permitting new coal via the Global Coal to Clean Power Transition Statement.
• Pakistan's coal expansion, largely supported by the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), has led to power overcapacity and a financial crisis, with power system debt reaching US$16 billion in the first half of 2021.

APA

Global Energy Monitor (2021). With China’s withdrawal from overseas coal, the pipeline for new coal in Asia could drop to 22 GW — all of which will likely not be built. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/Briefing_Chinas-withdrawal-from-overseas-coal-potential-drops-pipeline-to-22-GW_CREAGEM_Final_11.pdf

Chicago

Global Energy Monitor. With China’s withdrawal from overseas coal, the pipeline for new coal in Asia could drop to 22 GW — all of which will likely not be built. 2021. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/Briefing_Chinas-withdrawal-from-overseas-coal-potential-drops-pipeline-to-22-GW_CREAGEM_Final_11.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Energy Monitor |title=With China’s withdrawal from overseas coal, the pipeline for new coal in Asia could drop to 22 GW — all of which will likely not be built |date=November 2021 |url=https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/Briefing_Chinas-withdrawal-from-overseas-coal-potential-drops-pipeline-to-22-GW_CREAGEM_Final_11.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalenergymonitor2021with, author = {{Global Energy Monitor}}, title = {{With China’s withdrawal from overseas coal, the pipeline for new coal in Asia could drop to 22 GW — all of which will likely not be built}}, institution = {Global Energy Monitor}, year = {2021}, month = nov, url = {https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/Briefing_Chinas-withdrawal-from-overseas-coal-potential-drops-pipeline-to-22-GW_CREAGEM_Final_11.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }