How the war in Iran changes China’s decarbonisation path

In this commentary for LSE Business Review Mathias Larsen explains how higher prices and unstable supply of imported oil and gas have led China to burn more coal in the short term. But in the longer term he agrues the security implications of relying on expensive imports through geopolitical bottlenecks will encourage China to invest even more in renewables, which will increase the pace of its decarbonisation.

LSE Business Review, 25 June 2026