On the surface, China and the European Union’s latest joint climate agreement appears to be a noble act of global responsibility. In a joint statement issued during a tense summit in Beijing, the two powers reaffirmed their support for the Paris Agreement and pledged new emissions targets ahead of the COP30 climate summit in Brazil. Yet beneath the green language lies a far more calculated move by China—one aimed not at saving the planet, but at expanding its economic and political influence in Europe while masking a deepening reliance on coal at home.

The U.S. Is Left Out

Notably absent from the climate pact was the United States. With President Trump pulling the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement and focusing instead on energy independence and trade protection, China saw an opportunity to step into the void. The joint statement never mentioned America by name, but its absence was glaring. This allowed China to present itself as a responsible global leader – despite the fact that its domestic actions on coal are undermining global climate goals.

Green Words, Black Smoke

China loves to tout its clean energy achievements. In 2024 alone, it installed more solar panels and wind turbines than the rest of the world combined. It’s also flooding global markets with cheap electric vehicles and building green tech plants from Brazil to Saudi Arabia.

But there’s a darker truth. In the same year it made these green advances, China also began construction on 94.5 gigawatts of new coal-fired power capacity—the highest in a decade. According to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and Global Energy Monitor (GEM), more than three-quarters of these new projects were funded by coal interests, not green innovators.

China claims it’s balancing energy needs with long-term goals, but the reality is that coal still powers more than half its energy grid. Instead of phasing it out, China is locking in coal’s dominance through long-term contracts and subsidies—making clean energy a side act, not the main show.

Europe’s Gamble

European leaders, under economic pressure and facing trade disputes with the U.S., seem willing to look past China’s double game. At the summit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President António Costa called for rebalancing trade relations and even welcomed China’s offer to fast-track critical mineral exports. Yet no serious progress was made on other issues, including Chinese subsidies, human rights abuses, or its ties to Russia.

While Europe tries to paint this partnership as pragmatic, the risk is that it becomes a one-sided arrangement. China gains a foothold in European markets, sells more electric vehicles, and strengthens its image—all while continuing to burn coal at record levels. Europe, meanwhile, may find its own industries undercut and its climate credibility weakened.

Pledges Without Teeth

The joint climate statement promises that both China and the EU will submit updated emissions targets before COP30. The EU has proposed a 90 percent cut in climate pollution by 2040, though it’s still waiting on parliamentary approval. China hasn’t offered anything new yet. And neither side has said whether their goals will actually align with scientific consensus, which requires keeping global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius.

More telling is what China has failed to do: it hasn’t stopped approving new coal plants, hasn’t set a clear retirement timeline for existing ones, and hasn’t dismantled policies that give coal preferential treatment. In fact, researchers say China is underreporting the amount of renewable energy it wastes due to grid constraints.

A Pattern of Climate Hypocrisy

China’s environmental contradictions are no accident—they’re baked into the system. Provincial governments rely on coal for tax revenue and stability. Energy providers have little incentive to prioritize solar and wind when long-term coal contracts offer guaranteed profits.

Despite its global sales of clean tech, China’s own emissions keep rising. In 2024, it was responsible for 93 percent of all new global coal construction. Its historical emissions have now surpassed the entire European Union. And yet, it still claims “developing nation” status to dodge tougher international obligations.

China’s climate partnership with Europe is less about saving the planet and more about reshaping global influence. By positioning itself as a green leader while flooding Europe with subsidized electric vehicles and suppressing criticism with mineral leverage, China is using climate diplomacy as a tool of economic expansion.

As the U.S. steps back from multilateral climate leadership, China is stepping in—but not with integrity. Until it stops building coal plants, retires old ones, and reforms its energy structure to favor renewables, no climate pledge should be taken at face value.

China’s actions speak louder than its words. And right now, they’re saying “coal first, climate second.”