Paris Agreement faces geopolitical strain amid China's coal expansion

The Paris Agreement, established in 2015 to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, faces significant geopolitical challenges. While renewable energy and electric vehicles are expanding, international cooperation is strained by military conflicts, trade tensions, and previous shifts in United States participation in the UNFCCC.

In China, despite global narratives suggesting a rapid transition to renewables, the country continues to expand its coal power fleet and mining operations. Chinese policymakers have framed coal as a vital component of national energy security, a stance reflected in recent five-year energy plans that reaffirm coal’s role as a foundational element of the nation's energy strategy.