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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.

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 summary report details the outcomes of the High-Level Think Tank Seminar on Energy and Climate Change held in Beijing on April 25-26, 2024. The event brought together representatives from China and the United States to discuss decarbonization strategies, methane reduction, energy efficiency, carbon capture, and climate finance, while coordinating positions for COP29 and COP30.

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 BOND MARKET 2019 RESEARCH REPORT', published by the Climate Bonds Initiative and CCDC Research, analyzes the growth, policy landscape, and alignment of China's green bond market in 2019. It highlights a significant increase in issuance, a shift toward non-financial corporate issuers, and the emergence of municipal green bonds, while noting persistent discrepancies between domestic and international green definitions.

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 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 briefing paper compares the development of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) and Direct Air Capture (DAC) in the United States and China. The U.S. is leading in infrastructure and policy incentives, notably through the Inflation Reduction Act's 45Q tax credits. China is rapidly expanding its project portfolio but faces significant regulatory gaps and a lack of structured financial support. The document outlines a bilateral commitment under the Sunnylands Statement to develop five large-scale cooperative projects each by 2030, with a 2024 focus on hard-to-abate industries, market environments, infrastructure, and carbon removal.

The World Resources Institute report summarizes the China-U.S. High-Level Dialogue on Energy and Climate Change held in Beijing on April 25-26, 2024. The dialogue served as a space for experts to discuss power sector decarbonization, methane mitigation, energy efficiency, carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS), climate finance, and trade. The report outlines domestic policy updates from both nations, identifies specific areas for future bilateral collaboration, and discusses preparations for COP 29 and COP 30.

This briefing paper provides a detailed status update as of April 10, 2024, on the climate policies, energy trends, and bilateral engagement between China and the United States. It outlines China's progress toward its 2030 and 2060 carbon goals, the U.S. implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and the diplomatic efforts to maintain climate cooperation despite broader geopolitical tensions.