In recent years, rich Western countries and international financial institutions have adopted policies to restrict the construction of new coal power plants overseas. However, China has now risen to become the largest global provider of public financing for such projects – and is powering full steam ahead. Though they contradict Beijing’s global climate obligations, these investments serve its domestic energy and economic policies, as well as strategic and foreign policy objectives.
In November 2015, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and its 34 member states agreed to limit state funding for new overseas coal power projects to only the most efficient p...
