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China is strategically transitioning its coal power fleet from a baseload generation role to providing system flexibility to support the rapid expansion of wind and solar energy. The country is on track to fully retrofit its existing coal fleet for flexibility by 2027, though the report emphasizes that clean flexibility solutions, particularly battery energy storage, must scale up to avoid locking in emissions beyond 2030.

As of May 2025, China's installed solar and wind capacity reached 1.4 billion kilowatts, surpassing thermal power for the first time in Q1 2025. The country has over 1.3 billion kilowatts of additional projects planned or under construction, with significant concentrations in Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia. While offshore wind has grown rapidly to 42.7 million kilowatts (49% of global capacity), it faces challenges following the 2021 removal of national subsidies, prompting a shift toward provincial policies and technical innovation in deep-sea and floating wind platforms.

This field visit report details a mission to Hubei Province, China, from April 22-25, 2024, focused on promoting climate-smart water technologies for sustainable rice production in the Lancang-Mekong Region. The visit, involving partners such as the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), the Changjiang River Scientific Research Institute (CRSRI), and Thailand's Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR), showcased advanced digital twin systems for water management, community-led irrigation governance, and specialized agricultural research facilities.

The 'China Green Finance Policy Analysis Report 2021' examines the evolution of China's green bond market and the impact of national and regional policy frameworks. It highlights a significant market rebound in 2021, the unification of domestic standards through the Green Bond Endorsed Project Catalogue, and a positive correlation between local policy efficacy and green bond issuance. The report identifies challenges in information disclosure and asset selection, recommending the development of transition finance standards and enhanced transparency to attract further international and domestic capital.

A fact sheet detailing a CNY2bn (USD289m) green bond issued by Guilin Bank on November 23, 2018, with a three-year tenor and a maturity date of November 23, 2021.

This report evaluates China's 2010 reform of residential electricity pricing, which transitioned from a flat-rate system to a tiered electricity pricing (TEP) mechanism. The reform aimed to improve energy efficiency, reduce environmental pollution, and address the regressive nature of flat subsidies that disproportionately benefited high-income households. While the central government set general principles, provincial governments designed specific price ladders and volume blocks. The report analyzes the impacts on different income groups, the role of grid companies, and the challenges of public communication and operational feasibility.

This 2010 report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines how trade facilitation measures at multilateral, regional, and subregional levels impact the illegal wildlife and timber trade in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). It analyzes the tension between economic growth driven by infrastructure and trade ease and the resulting depletion of biodiversity, providing recommendations for policymakers to mitigate environmental risks.

This 1995 report by the Stockholm Environment Institute, conducted as a UNEP project with the National Environmental Protection Agency of China, analyzes the environmental impacts of energy planning in the People's Republic of China. Using the LEAP/EDB model, the study compares a Business-As-Usual (BAU) scenario against two enhanced environmental scenarios to forecast pollutant emissions (SO2, CO2, NOx, PM, and CO) through 2020. The report identifies coal as the primary driver of pollution and recommends a shift toward a cleaner energy mix, improved energy efficiency, and the implementation of integrated energy-environment planning and economic instruments to achieve sustainable development.

This report, produced by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in partnership with the Ministry of Commerce of China (MOFCOM), analyzes the sustainability of China's fish and fish products market supply chains. Using a Global Commodity Chain Sustainability Analysis (GCCSA) framework, the study examines three specific case studies: tilapia aquaculture, cod reprocessing, and the live reef food fish trade (LRFFT). The report evaluates these chains across ecological, economic, and social dimensions, highlighting China's pivotal role as a global producer, processor, and consumer. It identifies critical challenges including illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, traceability gaps, and environmental degradation, while recommending the adoption of national traceability systems, sustainability certifications, and strategic policy integration with China's Five-Year Plans to ensure long-term sector viability.

The SUMERNET PLUS fact sheet describes a transboundary programme running from July 2025 to December 2029, funded by the Swedish Government. The initiative aims to enhance climate resilience in the Mekong Region through scientifically robust research, inclusive policy development, and the adoption of sustainable practices by the private sector.

This case study describes a pilot project in Guilin, China, focused on implementing climate-smart water technologies and innovations in rice farming. The project, part of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, aims to reduce water demand and improve resource use decisions through intelligent measuring devices and a specific water-saving irrigation mode.