I think the author is full of it, feels like he's trying to sell us a brainfart.

Firstly, I'd say 'mind your own business, worry about your own country, and let the Chinese worry about theirs'.

Next you complain "Moreover, they are continuing to construct and finance coal plants in African, Southeast Asian, and South Asian countries.", but later you state "Article 4 of the UNFCCC states that the first and overriding priority of developing nations is poverty alleviation and development."
- You cant have your cake and eat it too.

Then you whinge about Europe, scolding China for creating EV so cheap Europe can't compete, but it's not China's fault Western interests blew up the NordStream pipeline denying Europe of cheap gas for manufacturing. It's not China's fault the EU can't compete.

But cheap EV and cheap solar panels, wind and hydro turbines actually help consumers to move to replace fossil fuels faster.
- You can't have your cake and eat it too.

The EU do nothing in their citizens best interests, except siphon hundreds of billions of Euros to prolong an unwinnable conflict in Ukraine, backed by lies. Russia is not going to invade Western Europe, France and Britain are nuclear powers, and Russia does not seek territorial expansion, it seeks a new collective security framework as a result of NATO planned expansion.

EU slush funds for military contractors and opportunities for war profiteering with snouts in the war trough.

Don't blame China for controlling supply chains of critical minerals, they were smart enough to act first, acting to lower the cost of renewables for consumers, again, you can't have your cake and eat it too.

How many renewable projects has your organisation or nation funded and constructed to alleviate the poverty of developing nations?

Ports, Hospitals, government buildings and roads?

If your organisation or nation has done nothing to help, then you should just shut your damn mouth, and mind your business, because the only thing you offer the world is criticism and wagging your finger, when in truth you have nothing tangible to offer anyone.

It's true, China burns more coal than Rest of World put together, and is far and away the biggest CO2 emitter.

Fake UN "net zero" couldn't be more obvious in its intent. To deindustrialise the "bad" West in favour of "virtuous" China.

That's exactly the kind of bumper-sticker thinking that Tom’s article encourages, Steve.

Yes, China burns a lot of coal. That's because it makes half the world's steel, most of its solar panels, nearly all its EV batteries, and is still dragging hundreds of millions into the middle class.

It’s not a secret plot. It’s industrial reality.

And let’s be honest, no one stopped the West from investing in renewables, building battery factories, or keeping control of its own supply chains. We outsourced to China voluntarily, for cheaper goods and bigger profits. Now we’re mad they got good at it?

As for "net zero is a plot to deindustrialise the West"? That's some serious tinfoil-hattery there!

Germany, the UK, the US, even Australia are still emitting far more per person than China. If anything, the Paris Agreement lets wealthy countries keep pumping out emissions while demanding developing nations wait their turn.

That’s the real double standard.

If you want to critique China, go for it - they certainly provide us with plenty to work with there! But pretending this is all some UN-backed scheme to "reward" China while hobbling the West is victim cosplay.

It’s not a secret plot. It’s industrial reality.
John Daysh,
Yes & it doesn't change to degree of pollution. The people who complain about this are the same who sell everything including land & properties here to the Chinese just for profit.
I'll be convinced about the benefits of wind & solar generated energy once it actually becomes clean. Yet, this leaves the matter of cleaning up the destruction caused to the environment from recent & present inefficient technology.
Not just here, globally ! The whole show is plain & simply more hypocritical than is admitted to.
The sad reality is that literally 50 % or even more energy use is for utterly unnecessary purposes used to satisfy ego & greed ! If only a fraction of the money were used to educate people instead of indoctrinating them all would come good.

I'm reminded of the Soviet Union's regular press releases which showed their economic superiority to western nations, especially the US. Lots of people swallowed the nonsense before the truth came out, and the few who went to live the dream found out much sooner.

We need cheap energy, and the cheaper the better.