Key Highlights
- China has built the world’s most complete clean-energy manufacturing base.
- Beijing controls key components of global supply chains for green technologies.
- The Chinese strategy is seen as a form of “green colonialism” by some critics.
- China seeks to write the rules of the next world order through decarbonization policies.
China’s Green Dominance in Global Energy Markets
China, often referred to as both “the world’s dirtiest industrial behemoth” and its leading green architect, has significantly transformed its position on the global stage through strategic investments in clean energy. By 2024, China had broken records for wind and solar installation while approving more coal plants than any other decade over the last ten years. This dual approach highlights Beijing’s complex strategy: leveraging industrial might to drive decarbonization without dismantling its vast manufacturing base.
The country has become a global leader in clean energy production, with over 80% of global solar modules and a dominant position in battery supply chains from raw materials to final assembly. It also controls rare-earth mining and processing crucial for electric vehicles (EVs), wind turbines, and electronics, giving China de facto control over certification regimes, pricing structures, and green finance standards.
China’s Strategy as Green Colonialism
The extent of China’s influence in the clean energy sector has raised concerns among some experts who view it as a form of “green colonialism.” Beijing’s ascent as a system-builder inspires both admiration for its comprehensive approach and unease over potential geopolitical implications. By controlling key components of global supply chains, China shapes market access rules and standards that increasingly govern international trade in green technologies.
In the electric vehicle sector, Chinese batteries and EVs may have higher life-cycle emissions than their Japanese or Korean counterparts but cost and scale advantages allow Beijing to dictate competitive terms. This strategy not only reinforces claims of state-directed success but also underscores China’s belief that decarbonization is a matter of national power rather than climate stewardship.
Strategic Decarbonization Through State Direction
Beijing’s path to decarbonization is riddled with contradictions. It acknowledges the need for emission cuts while simultaneously approving coal plants, illustrating what some critics interpret as “green-washing.” However, from Beijing’s perspective, this approach is about strategic sequencing: industrial strength must precede emission reductions.
“The path, method, pace and intensity… must be determined by ourselves,” President Xi Jinping has insisted. This philosophy underpins a multi-trillion-dollar experiment aimed at reaching dual carbon goals—peak CO2 emissions before 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060—without dismantling the world’s largest industrial base.
China’s strategy is not just about reducing emissions but also establishing itself as the architect of global green standards.
It seeks to define what counts as “green” through mechanisms like carbon certificates, zero-carbon industrial parks, and expanding taxonomies of green finance. These systems are becoming integral parts of 21st-century commerce, converting carbon footprints into tradable data and embedding Chinese standards into global regulation.
Opportunities and Challenges at COP30
The upcoming COP30 conference in Belém presents a pivotal moment for global climate governance. As the principal architect of the low-carbon era, China will arrive with both confidence and control. The challenge lies in whether this dominance can be balanced with cooperation to address the complex issues of decarbonization on a global scale.
Western policymakers must recognize the scope of China’s industrial strategy but respond not just defensively but through coordinated vision.
Tariffs, tax credits, and talking points are insufficient; a credible counteroffer is necessary to ensure that the world’s low-carbon future is not solely defined by Beijing’s standards.
The coming decade will likely see carbon content become a default value printed on goods from car batteries to shipping containers. China aims to be the one writing these labels, shaping global trade and defining green standards. The longer the delay in a credible counteroffer, the more likely it is that China’s model will dominate.
