“I think the pledge is quite limited because it addresses the ‘new’ aspect only,” said Wawa Wang, program director of Just Finance International, adding that the government’s definition of “new” allows China to continue building dozens of plants.
Category: Press Coverage
Financial Times: The spread of Chinese influence around the world
Wawa Wang (director, Just Finance) interviewed by the Financial Times on Chinese influence in Serbia.
Energy Monitor: Should we be worried about coal’s resurgence?
Nick Ferris, Energy Monitor, 20 April, 2022: One of the big climate wins of 2021 was the announcement from China, Japan and South Korea that they would no longer fund new coal plants overseas. For China, this was massive: the country had long been the biggest funder of coal plants worldwide, with these projects forming a… Continue reading Energy Monitor: Should we be worried about coal’s resurgence?
Table China: China’s international coal-exit has a transparency problem
“China has announced its intention to phase out financing of overseas coal-fired power. But the details remain unclear. For example, will China also stop projects that have already been started? Wawa Wang and Dr. Vanessa Buth from the non-governmental organization Just Finance International, which campaigns for more transparency in public procurement, reviewed China’s numerous coal projects in the Western Balkans. They urge the EU and Germany to call on China to disclose its overseas coal policies.”
China Dialogue: Coal-powered industrial parks test Indonesia’s climate pledges – and China’s too
Industrial parks at three of Indonesia’s nickel hotspots – Obi Island, Morowali and Weda Bay – aim to have 14 coal power plants with 71 turbines, totalling 12,579 MW, according to GEM data. That’s more than double the 6,109 MW of captive power the nation’s nickel industry already has in operation. Tsingshan, which runs the… Continue reading China Dialogue: Coal-powered industrial parks test Indonesia’s climate pledges – and China’s too
Radio Slobodna Evropa: The Morava River Ecosystem pays the price for the construction of Corridor 11
The latest report by the international organization Just Finance, which investigates Chinese investments around the world, states that several laws were violated during the construction of one of the most important roads in Serbia.
CNN: China Stops Coal Investment But Funds Oil and Gas Projects
Wawa Wang, director of Just Finance International, said Chinese funding continues to exacerbate the climate crisis in the Western Balkans, a region where Chinese loans can expand new coal projects.
China Dialogue: China’s overseas coal pledge yields mixed results in Serbia and Bosnia
The Balkan nations are among the first to feel effects of President Xi’s announcement of an end to support for coal projects, as struggles over energy transition persist.
Frankfurter Allgemeine: Is China stopping investments in European coal-fired power plants?
“China will keine neuen Kohlekraftwerke im Ausland bauen. Opfer könnten nun Projekte auf dem Balkan werden. Umweltschützer sind erfreut, bleiben aber skeptisch.”
Capital Monitor: China is stopping financing coal power overseas – so what?
If the announcement only applies to projects announced from September 2021 onwards, it will have “very few climate-saving impacts because negotiation and implementation of any agreement for coal takes years” and the average coal-fired power plant operates for at least 40 years, says Wang Wawa, programme director at Just Finance International. Read the article in… Continue reading Capital Monitor: China is stopping financing coal power overseas – so what?