Letter from China: Five-Year Plan puts energy over decarbonisation
China’s reluctance to ease back on fossil fuels highlights the contrasting narratives of energy security and decarbonisation
Carbon neutrality has been the buzzword in China in recent months, but a close reading of the country’s recently approved 14th Five-Year Plan (FYP) makes clear that Beijing is prioritising energy over emissions in near-term policymaking—a continuation that will be welcomed by China’s NOCs. An outline of the plan presented at China’s annual session of parliament in March showed little sign of an acceleration in the country’s fight against climate change. While the plan—a roadmap for China’s development in 2021-2025—did reaffirm the shift to a low-carbon and more energy-efficient economy, it also lacked ambition. A detailed path on how China will make good on its promise to peak carbon emissio

Also in this section
21 February 2025
While large-scale planned LNG schemes in sub-Saharan Africa have faced fresh problems, FLNG projects are stepping into that space
20 February 2025
Greater social mobility means increased global demand for refined fuels and petrochemical products, with Asia leading the way in the expansion of refining capacity
19 February 2025
The EU would do well to ease its gas storage requirements to avoid heavy purchase costs this summer, with the targets having created market distortion while giving sellers a significant advantage over buyers
18 February 2025
Deliveries to China decline by around 1m b/d from move to curb crude exports to Shandong port, putting Iran under further economic pressure