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A Lot of People Mistakenly Think China’s The Major Funder of Coal Plants Around the World. New BU Report Says That’s Not the Case.

by Eric Olander

China is indeed the largest government funder of coal power projects around the world, accounting for 50% of coal projects that reached financial closure between 2013 and 2018, according to a new policy brief from Boston University’s Global Development Policy Center.

While that sounds like a lot, China’s contribution to financing overseas coal power plants makes up just 13% of the total when both public and commercial entities (policy banks, state, and privately-owned commercial banks and investment firms) are factored in.

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