China’s Global Energy Finance Database - Data Update

As the world recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and as the costs of renewable energy decrease, China’s established financial and technical prowess is uniquely positioned to foster green energy transitions abroad.
At the recent Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, China indicated significant support for scaling up overseas green energy related activities, with fresh capital allocated to finance the next decade of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the creation of a Green Investment and Finance Partnership to help BRI partner countries develop and match green projects with Chinese financiers.
The announcements built on Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s 2021 announcement that China would no longer build new coal-fired power plants overseas and instead would seek to ramp up support for renewable energy in developing countries.
However, a new update to the China’s Global Energy Finance (CGEF) Database, managed by the Boston University Global Development Policy Center, reveals that a shift in Chinese overseas energy finance for renewable energy has yet to emerge. In the two years since Xi’s announcement, the CGEF Database has identified no new overseas energy sector loan commitments from China’s development finance institutions.
What trends characterize the 22 years of data tracked in the CGEF Database? Which countries and energy subsectors have received the most financing? And what are the prospects for a greener horizon?
On Thursday, November 16, the Boston University Global Development Policy Center hosted a webinar discussion on the latest data and insights and for a demonstration of the CGEF Database.
Speakers:
• Cecilia Springer: Non-Resident Fellow, Global China Initiative, Boston University Global Development Policy Center
• Ishana Ratan: Global China Pre-doctoral Research Fellow, Global China Initiative, Boston University Global Development Policy Center
• Oyintarelado (Tarela) Moses (Moderator): Data Analyst and Database Manager, Global China Initiative, Boston University Global Development Policy Center