OIES Podcast – China’s Two Sessions and their Implications for Energy and Climate

China’s Two Sessions – the yearly meetings of China’s top legislature and top political advisory bodies – is a key date in the Chinese political calendar, and an important point to check the pulse of policy discussions in Beijing on energy and climate. This year held special significance as President Xi Jinping’s new leadership team begins its term. In this podcast, Michal Meidan, Head of China Research at OIES, along with Senior Research Fellows Philip Andrews-Speed and Anders Hove, discuss the Two Sessions and their implications for energy and climate. The podcast covers the main macroeconomic takeaways for growth and energy demand, the major policy tensions revealed (or reemphasised) by the government work reports, and the concerns about energy security that have risen to the fore in recent years. The guests discuss and debate whether the lower focus on climate is a reason for cautious pessimism, or whether the trend on renewables is justification for cautious optimism.

By: OIES