CNA Insider's Documentary on China's Contradictory Actions towards Investing in Fossil Fuel Industries

Abstract

The research paper analyses the documentary series-China’s Contradiction: World’s Biggest Clean Energy Producer and Biggest Polluter?, produced by Channel News Asia (CNA) Insider, which highlighted China's efforts in increasing coal production, despite producing huge amounts of green energy. China has emerged as the world’s No.1 producer of solar energy in the world, by producing over 430 GW solar energy and is also the world's largest manufacturer of solar equipment, superseding other countries like the U.S.A., Germany, India, and Japan. In spite of being the largest producer of ‘clean’ energy, China has started constructing several coal power plants, to meet the country’s energy requirements, by directly contradicting its statement that it will peak emissions by 2030 and attain net zero by 2060. So the study adopts case study approach to decipher China’s efforts in its increased interest and investment in solar energy, and its reasons behind investing in coal plants as well, After analysis, it is concluded that China's ambitions in investing in the solar industry is for overall economic development, and the country is not yet ‘ready’ to become completely green because of its high dependence on coal for generating cheap electricity at all times of the year.