The Bunker – News without the nonsense Can China save the world?
Nov 20, 2025
Barbara Finamore, a Senior Fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies and author of 'Will China Save the Planet?', discusses China's surprising shift from a climate villain to a clean-energy powerhouse. She highlights the country's advancements in solar, wind, and electric vehicles, as well as the dual impact of its domestic electrification and global technology exports. While coal remains a challenge, she argues that China's self-interest in decarbonization aligns with global climate goals, emphasizing the need for faster coal reduction and international collaboration.
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China Drives Global Clean-Tech Scale
- China now leads the world in building solar, wind and electric vehicles at scale.
- This scale has driven down costs and made clean tech commercially superior to fossil alternatives.
China Shapes The Global Supply Chain
- China supplies over 80% of the world's solar panels and exported $150 billion in clean-tech last year.
- It also invested over $100 billion to help the global South build local manufacturing capacity.
Coal's Lingering Grip
- China still relies on coal for over half its energy and remains the world's largest CO2 emitter.
- Local governments keep building coal plants before the 2030 peak commitment, producing underused legacy capacity.
