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This report by Global Energy Monitor and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) examines the structural inertia preventing a transition away from coal in China's power system. Despite a record decline in coal's share of power generation and the rapid expansion of renewables, coal capacity continues to grow due to high commissioning rates, strong project approvals, and institutional protections such as capacity payments and inflexible dispatch rules. The report highlights a significant gap between official retirement targets and actual progress, urging the development of a national roadmap for coal phase-down in the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan.

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.

A July 2024 briefing by Global Energy Monitor (GEM) detailing China's leadership in wind and solar energy deployment, highlighting its massive pipeline of projects under construction and the systemic challenges related to grid integration and power transmission.

The report "Boom and Bust 2024," published by Global Energy Monitor and several partner organizations, tracks the global development of coal-fired power plants. It highlights a contradictory trend where, despite global efforts to phase out coal, total operational capacity reached a historic high in 2023, driven largely by significant expansions in China.

A briefing by Global Energy Monitor and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) reports that China is at risk of missing multiple 2025 climate commitments due to an acceleration in coal power permitting and construction. Despite official pledges to strictly control new coal power, an estimated 114 GW of capacity was approved and 70 GW started construction in 2023. The report argues that this expansion is driven by rigid grid management and a perceived 'policy window' before 2025, leading to significant risks of future overcapacity and stranded assets.

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.

A February 2023 briefing by Global Energy Monitor reporting a dramatic acceleration in coal power plant permitting and construction in China during 2022, driven by peak load increases and regional energy security concerns, despite record clean energy additions.

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.

This report by the Climate Bonds Initiative and EsgSolution analyzes the state of green finance policy in China in 2021, focusing on the alignment of green bond standards with carbon neutrality goals, the impact of regional policies, and the expectations of market stakeholders.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics examines the economic vulnerabilities of China to climate-induced floods and heatwaves, emphasizing that indirect economic losses often exceed direct damages and can disrupt global supply chains due to the concentration of manufacturing in high-risk regions.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative examines the landscape of green and climate finance in China, highlighting the gap between current investment levels and the funding required to meet climate targets. It analyzes the dominance of the public sector, regional investment patterns, and the barriers preventing private capital from scaling, while offering recommendations for policy improvements and the greening of outbound investments.

A fact sheet detailing a CNY 1.2 billion green bond issued by Nanjing City Construction Development Co., Ltd. on April 9, 2020, to fund the second phase of the Nanjing City West District Project.

Jiangsu Financial Leasing issued a CNY1bn (USD148.9m) green bond on April 11, 2019, marking the first domestic Certified Climate Bond in China. The proceeds fund nine solar projects, including the world's largest floating solar park in Huainan City, Anhui Province (150MW). The bond is expected to annually avoid 88,000 tons of coal consumption and 236,000 tons of CO2 emissions.

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 CNY 1.2 billion (USD 188 million) green bond issued by Nanjing Metro on January 10, 2018, to finance metro construction in Nanjing City using a land value capture model.

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 report analyzes the structure, production, and sustainability of the Chinese copper supply chain as of 2010. It details China's position as the world's largest producer and consumer of refined copper, examines the environmental and social impacts of the industry, and outlines the regulatory framework governing smeltingS smelting, imports, and exports.

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.