China’s approach to climate change is entering a new phase. While Beijing continues to endorse its long-term carbon neutrality goals, its near-term strategy is increasingly centered on building global leadership in clean technology and low-carbon industry rather than accelerating emissions reductions. This report examines the political, economic and strategic forces driving that shift, and what it means for global climate action.
In this new report, The Evolving Politics of Climate Change in China, Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis Fellow on Chinese Politics Neil Thomas and Senior Fellow on Chinese Politics Guoguang Wu investigate how clean-energy sectors have become a core pillar of China’s growth model, industrial policy and international engagement.
Building on Wu’s seminal 2024 study, Climate Change in China’s Governance: Agenda, Agents, and International Collaboration, the authors explain why mounting economic pressures, intensifying technological competition, and rising geopolitical tensions are reshaping Beijing’s priorities, and how climate diplomacy is becoming increasingly intertwined with trade and industrial strategy.
The findings carry important implications for governments, businesses, and international institutions navigating the energy transition. Understanding China’s evolving approach is essential to assessing the future trajectory of global decarbonization and the risks and opportunities it presents.