Skip to main content Currently Reading China finances most coal plants built today - it's a climate problem and why US-China talks are essential Jeff Nesbit, Yale University FacebookTwitterEmail Jeff Nesbit, Yale University (THE CONVERSATION) As nations gear up for a critical year for climate negotiations, it’s become increasingly clear that success may hinge on one question: How soon will China end its reliance on coal and its financing of overseas coal-fired power plants? China represents more than a quarter of all global carbon emissions, and it has spent tens of billions of dollars to build coal power facilities in 152 countries over the past decade through its Belt and Road Initiative. Roughly 70% of the coal plants built globally now rely on Chinese funding.