China Laughs at the West’s Zero Net Climate Change Freak-Out! By James Reed
The article by Jo Nova: https://joannenova.com.au/2025/02/china-is-so-committed-to-net-zero-last-year-it-started-building-95-gigawatts-of-coal-plants/
published on February 25, 2025, takes a critical and sarcastic tone toward China's supposed environmental commitments, focusing on its continued reliance on coal despite global pressure to achieve "net zero" carbon emissions. The central issue is China's initiation of construction on 94.5 gigawatts (GW) of coal power projects in 2024, the largest such expansion since 2015, as reported by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and Global Energy Monitor (GEM). This figure represents 93 percent of the world's new coal power construction, starkly contrasting with China's stated goals of peaking carbon emissions by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2060.
The piece highlights the scale of this development: 95 GW is roughly equivalent to the entire coal-fired capacity of the European Union (about 150 GW in 2022, with significant retirements since). It notes that while China also added a record 356 GW of wind and solar capacity in 2024—4.5 times the EU's additions—the simultaneous coal boom risks entrenching fossil fuels in its energy mix. The article cites a CREA and GEM report suggesting that this coal expansion could jeopardize China's 2030 carbon peak target, as these plants, designed to operate for decades, lock in long-term emissions.
Another issue raised is the inconsistency between China's actions and its international rhetoric. President Xi Jinping's 2021 pledge to stop building coal plants abroad is juxtaposed with this domestic coal surge, implying a disconnect between external promises and internal priorities. The article also touches on global hypocrisy, noting that Western nations push for decarbonisation while relying on Chinese manufacturing—powered by coal—for goods like solar panels and wind turbines.
Nova frames this as evidence that either carbon dioxide's role in climate change is overstated or that nations, including China, don't genuinely treat it as a crisis. She uses data points—like China's coal plants dwarfing U.S. capacity (about 60% of the U.S.'s 218 GW as of recent estimates)—to underscore the scale and question the sincerity of global climate efforts.
Critique of China: Prioritising Growth Over Emissions
China's actions, as detailed in the article, strongly suggest that its primary concern is economic growth and energy security, and I would add, world domination, not carbon emissions reduction. This critique rests on several observations.
First, the sheer magnitude of the 94.5 GW coal expansion reveals a pragmatic focus on meeting rising energy demands. China's economy, the world's second-largest, has historically been fuelled by coal, which still accounts for over 60 percent of its electricity generation. In 2024 alone, thermal power (mostly coal) hit a record 6.34 trillion kilowatt-hours, up 1.5 percent from the previous year, according to China's National Bureau of Statistics. This growth aligns with industrial and urban expansion, not a retreat from fossil fuels. The addition of coal capacity—enough to power entire nations—signals that China prioritises reliable, affordable energy to sustain its manufacturing base and maintain its status as the "world's factory."
Second, the timing and scale of this coal boom undermine China's net zero commitments. While it installed 356 GW of renewables in 2024, the parallel coal surge suggests renewables alone can't yet meet demand or ensure grid stability. Coal plants, with lifespans of 40+ years, commit China to decades of emissions, contradicting the 2060 net zero goal. If emissions were the priority, China could accelerate coal phase-outs or lean harder into supercritical and ultra-supercritical plants (which it does domestically to some extent), but the volume of new projects indicates growth trumps efficiency.
Third, China's global role amplifies this critique. It produces 70 percent of the world's electric vehicle batteries and dominates solar panel manufacturing—industries the West relies on for its own decarbonisation. Yet, these "green" exports are powered by coal, exposing a double standard: China reaps economic benefits from global climate policies while dodging their burdens. The article's mention of resumed construction on stalled coal projects (3.3 GW) further hints at opportunism—exploiting energy needs post-2022 power crunches rather than pivoting to cleaner alternatives.
Finally, China's history supports this growth-first narrative. Since 2005, its energy consumption has doubled, lifting millions out of poverty, but coal has remained the backbone. Even as it leads in renewable capacity (e.g., 277 GW of solar added in 2024), the International Energy Agency notes coal's share only drops gradually in optimistic scenarios—hardly a radical shift. Xi's promises, like ending overseas coal financing, seem performative when domestic coal approvals hit record highs (67 GW permitted in 2024).
In short, China's coal expansion reflects a calculated choice: growth and stability over emissions cuts, in its quest for world conquest and ruthless prioritisation of economic dominance. The West may decry this, but its reliance on Chinese goods—made with that same coal—makes the critique a shared hypocrisy. China's not committed to net zero; it's committed to itself and its will to power.
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