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China is rapidly expanding its renewable energy capacity, with a 1.3 TW pipeline of utility-scale solar and wind projects and an operating capacity of 1.4 TW that surpassed thermal power in Q1 2025. While China leads globally in offshore wind capacity and technology, including floating platforms and high-capacity turbines, the sector faces challenges from the 2021 phaseout of national subsidies and competition from ongoing fossil fuel development in coastal provinces.

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 July 2025 briefing by Global Energy Monitor details China's leadership in utility-scale solar and wind energy, highlighting a 1.3 TW pipeline of prospective capacity and the rapid growth of its offshore wind sector, which now accounts for 50% of global capacity.

This briefing by Global Energy Monitor and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) analyzes a surge in coal power permitting and construction in China during the first half of 2023. The report finds that new projects are being approved at a pace of more than one plant per week, often ignoring central government policies that restrict new coal to a 'supporting' role for clean energy. The authors argue that this 'coal rush' is driven by a desire to maximize carbon-intensive capacity before the 2030 emissions peak, outdated grid management, and a shift away from fossil gas, potentially undermining China's long-term climate commitments.

This report, co-authored by the Climate Bonds Initiative and Syntao Green Finance and sponsored by UK PACT, analyzes the potential for green investment and the issuance of green bonds in China. It identifies significant funding gaps for the transition to a low-carbon economy, evaluates the impact of national and local green finance policies, and highlights opportunities within green finance reform and innovation pilot zones. The document emphasizes the need for standardized green definitions, increased transparency in disclosure, and the potential for 'new infrastructure' and 'brown' industry transitions to drive future green bond issuance.

This handbook by the Climate Bonds Initiative provides a comprehensive guide for foreign entities wishing to issue green panda bonds in mainland China. It details the regulatory landscape, the definition of green panda bonds, the step-by-step issuance process, and the specific requirements for both panda bonds and green bonds within the Chinese market.

The report 'State of the Market 2018: Corporate Renewable Procurement in China' analyzes the transition of China's renewable energy market from a feed-in-tariff (FiT) system to a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). It examines the available mechanisms for corporations to procure green electricity, noting that while on-site solar and direct investments are currently viable, large-scale transaction mechanisms remain limited and dependent on evolving provincial and national policies.

This fact sheet details a CNY840mn (USD133m) Green Asset-Backed Security (ABS) issued by Huadian Fuxin Energy Corporation Limited on 15 March 2018, used to fund the development and operation of solar and onshore wind projects.

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 research paper examines the relationship between greenhouse gas emissions and human well-being, using China as a primary case study. It analyzes how income per capita, energy production mixes, and geography correlate with CO2 emissions across 174 countries and 30 Chinese provinces, arguing that current high-consumption lifestyles in rich countries are incompatible with low-emission stabilization targets.

This guide by the Climate Bonds Initiative provides a regulatory and operational framework for foreign entities wishing to issue Green Panda Bonds—RMB-denominated bonds issued in mainland China with proceeds dedicated to green assets or projects.

This report reviews three national certification programs in China—the EIP Demonstration Program, the Circular Transformation of Industrial Parks (CTIP), and the Low-Carbon Industrial Park Program—aimed at improving the eco-efficiency and carbon performance of industrial zones. While voluntary, these programs motivate participation through official certification, financial subsidies (particularly in the CTIP program), and the ability to attract investment. The report highlights that while these initiatives promote industrial symbiosis and resource efficiency, there remains a significant need for capacity building and more comprehensive low-carbon evaluation standards.

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.