NEW | China will build 3500GW of renewables and boost consumption by over 50%, according to a new 5 year plan The plan for renewables, published last week, outlines China's plan for a number of clean-energy sources It also sets out "firm capacity" targets to support energy supply
Anika Patel
@anikanpatel.carbonbrief.org
China Section Editor at Carbon Brief
NEW | In the past two weeks, China: 🌧️ Saw 39 killed in deadly floods ⤵️ Published plans for peaking CO2 emissions 🤝 Set up a new trade mechanism with 🇪🇺 Plus, I spoke to Sun Yixian about China's climate leadership Read more in my latest China Briefing for @carbonbrief.org - link below
NEW - China has launched or run 88 climate-focused initiatives since 1991, according to a new database tracking its environmental leadership by a team at @uniofbath.bsky.social
Wondering how PM Andy Burnham might approach action on climate change? This Hansard transcript from 2008, when he was Chief Secretary to Treasury, is a fascinating insight... ✅ Stern Review / IPCC ✅ China ✅ Role of CCC ✅ Winter fuel support ✅ Cost of inaction ✅ Most vulnerable, least to blame
☀️ NEW | Renewables were the LARGEST source of global energy supply growth in 2025, for the first time outside a recession. Renewables grew by 10%, adding 3.3 exajoules to total energy supply in 2025. Solar alone delivered 71% of that rise. 🧵1/3 🔗 www.energyinst.org/statistical-...
EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič is meeting his Chinese counterpart today. He hopes to show that, this time, Europe means business.
EU and China reopen trade talks as Brussels hardens its stance
EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič meets China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao as the EU prepares new trade defenses and pushes Beijing to rein in industry overcapacity.
politico.eu
NEW | In the past two weeks, China: 📄 Published several 5 year plans 🎯 Issued new clean energy use targets ⛏️ Enacted, and pushed back on, mineral controls Plus, I dig into the new three-year industry action plan Find out more in my latest China Briefing for @carbonbrief.org ⬇️
China Briefing 25 June 2026: Five-year plans passed | Critical-mineral tensions | Industrial decarbonisation plan - Carbon Brief
China will conduct an “intensive campaign for energy conservation and carbon reduction upgrades” across heavy industry between 2026 and 2028.
carbonbrief.org
After 18 months of R&D with a team of specialist academics, I'm VERY excited to say that @carbonbrief.org has just launched 'Project Cosmos'... ...the world's largest database of climate research Our hope is this becomes a major new resource interactive.carbonbrief.org/cosmos/index...
Project Cosmos – the world’s largest database of climate change research
interactive.carbonbrief.org
Just adding finish touches to a MAJOR project that @carbonbrief.org has been working on with a team of academics over past 18 months. V exciting to be on verge of now releasing it into the wild! Our subscribers will get an alert on Monday as soon as it goes live... subscribe.carbonbrief.org
China's provincial-level govts have now published their 15th five-year plans These plans outline local aims for energy, climate & cleantech, giving a window into how China's climate goals will be put into practice Lekai Liu dug into all 31 documents for @carbonbrief.org, find his analysis below ⬇️
NEW | In the past two weeks, China: 🛑 Issued new rules on tech transfers 💰 Fined a cleantech company for mineral exports ⛈️ Evacuated 1,000s due to heavy rains Plus, we unpack some of the goals in China's provincial five-year plans Find out more in the newest China Briefing for @carbonbrief.org ⬇️
DeBriefed: UK eyes 2040 emissions cut | US ‘dismantling’ oceans research | China’s solar slump ✍️ Written by @anikanpatel.carbonbrief.org 💻 Edited by @daisydunne.carbonbrief.org Read here ➡️ buff.ly/gTCXigy Subscribe to DeBriefed ➡️ buff.ly/J6uB9Kc
NEW - China added 9-10 GW of new solar in March and April, compared to an average of 26 GW a month in 2025 But it isn't simply a matter of low demand. A major pricing shakeup, as well as a growing focus on integrating clean power, played a big role See my new @carbonbrief.org article for more ⬇️
BREAKING: EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic says that "diversification requires a dedicated instrument" First public acknowledgement the Commission is building a new tool
NEW from me: China’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions grew by 2% in the first quarter of 2026, with power sector emissions rising 4%, after a rise in the amount of “wasted” wind and solar power. Emissions remain below the peak in early 2024.
Analysis: China’s CO2 climbs 2% in early 2026 due to ‘wasted’ wind and solar | @laurimyllyvirta.bsky.social @creacleanair.bsky.social Read here: buff.ly/bm4eLPS
NEW | In the past two weeks, China: ⛈️ Saw several people die during devastating rains 🤝 Talked energy with Trump and Putin (allegedly) 🌐 Pushed back on the EU's Industrial Accelerator Act Plus, China's changes to a key carbon target Find out more in the @carbonbrief.org China Briefing ⬇️
NEW - Hydrogen has always been seen as too expensive, hard to move and difficult to find use cases for That hasn't stopped China from trying, labelling hydrogen a "future industry" and setting up incentives for new projects Karen Teo and I look how this effort is progressing for @carbonbrief.org
Q&A: Can China turn hydrogen into its next clean-energy industry? - Carbon Brief
This article examines China’s approach to developing hydrogen and how its evolving industrial policy could make the fuel viable.
carbonbrief.org
New from me: China made a dramatic change to its carbon emissions numbers in the 15th five-year plan, erasing half of the previously reported emissions growth from 2020 to 2025. In absolute terms, the change is equal to the total emissions of Germany or South Korea.
Analysis: China’s new carbon metric leaves Germany-sized gap in its emissions ✍️ @laurimyllyvirta.bsky.social Read here: buff.ly/RfVDxLT
At least 82 dead in Chinese coal mine explosion, state media reports
At least 82 dead in Chinese coal mine explosion, state media reports
The explosion took place at 19:29 local time on Friday at a coal mine in northern China.
bbc.com
New from us: China's total power sector emissions fell in 2025 and clean power generation saw a record increase, but which provinces made the most progress and which slid back? 🧵
36/ 🥁🥁🥁 Now comes the moment of truth: the 🇺🇳 UNGA vote to adopt the resolution as tabled by Vanuatu! And what a success: ✅ 141 in favour, ❌ 8 against, 🙊 28 abstention... 🎉 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝! 🎉
22/ The secretariat is now keeping a record of all new co-sponsors to the draft resolution (so many, especially from Africa) and to the proposed hostile amendments (very few, but one notable one: 🇨🇳 China joined the group of fossil fuel producing countries by supporting the first amendment)
In other words... Xiaomi and LEAPMOTOR combined, who hasn't heard of them, are now bigger than Volkswagen... in China ⚡️⚡️⚡️ #alwaysbecharging
Is the collapse of VW happening in real time in China? Apr 2025: ~140.900 vehicles Apr 2026: ~81.900 vehicles #alwaysbecharging 🚨🚨🚨 data: @thinkercar.bsky.social
China added a Germany-sized electricity grid last year— (This Data Insight was written by @hannahritchie.bsky.social and @pablorosado.com.) We’ll often see headlines quoting how many gigawatts of new solar farms or coal plants China is building.
China and Europe form carbon alliance as US bets on fossil fuels
Bloomberg - Are you a robot?
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bloomberg.com
NEW - What do silver, war and taxes have in common? They all drove a massive surge in Chinese solar exports last month Find out more in this week's @carbonbrief.org China Briefing spotlight, written by Lekai Liu Link below ⬇️
Also worth noting a submission by China 🇨🇳 – which kept fairly quiet last year during US/Saudi opposition to the framework. The submission signals that China is broadly supportive of the net-zero framework and engages specifically on the topic of how to use resources from the new IMO fund.
China just dropped some very significant policy documents - here's the lowdown from @anikanpatel.carbonbrief.org
NEW – Q&A: China’s leadership calls for ‘strict control’ of fossil fuels | @anikanpatel.carbonbrief.org Read here: www.carbonbrief.org/qa-chinas-le...
🚨 China just sent a clear signal of its commitment to climate action Its leaders urged officials to "strictly control" coal use, reinforcing aims to phase down fossil fuels amid a sharp energy security debate Read more about the landmark policies in my latest article for @carbonbrief.org ⬇️
Q&A: China’s leadership calls for ‘strict control’ of fossil fuels - Carbon Brief
Chinese leaders published a document calling for stricter controls on fossil-fuel consumption and greater oversight of heavy emitters.
carbonbrief.org
NEW | In the past two weeks, China: 💸 Revealed $24.5bn of grid investments 🚢 Set a new carbon target for its shipping sector 🌐 Talked energy security with 🇪🇸 🇦🇺🇦🇪 🇷🇺 as Iran war drags on Plus, a deep dive on the debate over China's BBNJ bid Find out more in the @carbonbrief.org China Briefing ⬇️