Fossil fuels’ share of China’s energy mix will decline, but consumption will continue to grow
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
12 November 2025
The November 2025 issue of Petroleum Economist is out now!
10 November 2025
The Russian firm made a significant attempt to expand overseas over the past two decades but is now trying to divest its global operations
10 November 2025
OPEC+ has proven to be astute at bringing back oil production, but mysteries around Chinese buying, missing barrels and oil-on-water have left the group in wait-and-see mode
7 November 2025
The Russian company’s German assets are under Berlin’s management and are exempt from sanctions, for now, but a permanent solution still needs to be found
