China offers robust backing for worldwide energy transition

According to People’s Daily Overseas Edition, published on 2 November, Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, spoke during an interview on the sidelines of the Global Dialogue Forum in Berlin. He stated that the energy crisis has reshaped global energy markets, with supply security moving higher on national policy agendas, while nations accelerate the roll‑out of renewables and electric vehicles to cut reliance on fossil fuels. He added that China has made substantial advances in clean‑energy technology and provides strong support for the global shift.

Birol noted that China carries weight in tackling prevailing energy risks and advancing cross‑border energy collaboration. Referring to the sixteenth APEC Energy Ministerial Meeting held in Beijing in September, he said participants discussed the energy crisis and joint response frameworks, and “China played an important role as host and chair”.

He described the period from March this year as bringing “the greatest energy security challenge in history”. Two long‑standing vital supply routes, the pipeline system linking western Siberia to Europe and the Strait of Hormuz, have faced severe disruption amid geopolitical unrest, placing heavy strain on global supply. The International Energy Agency announced on 11 March that its member states would coordinate the release of four hundred million barrels of oil reserves to ease market pressure. Birol said the move helped stabilise expectations yet only delivered temporary relief and could not resolve underlying supply outages. Higher crude prices have imposed acute pressure on developing economies across Africa and Asia.

Shocks to energy supply have altered trade patterns alongside fuel prices. Established trading partnerships are being rearranged and new cooperative frameworks are emerging. Decision‑making within energy commerce is shifting from a focus on efficiency and cost towards diversification and risk mitigation, which may push up overall energy expenses.

Birol outlined four market shifts triggered by conflict in the Middle East. Deployment of renewable power is speeding up, sales of electric vehicles are rising, coal is regaining attention in some jurisdictions, and nuclear power attracts renewed investment. Solar capacity records the fastest expansion among clean sources, followed by wind. Elevated petrol and diesel prices have also lifted consumption of biofuels. Growth in renewables is no longer driven solely by climate targets; governments seek greater domestic generation to reduce import exposure.

The electric vehicle sector has posted rapid expansion across multiple markets over recent months, with reduced oil dependence acting as a core driver. Subsidies and tax concessions in several territories speed up transport electrification, a trend visible in Europe, Brazil, Australia and parts of South‑east Asia. Birol pointed to China’s fast‑expanding electric vehicle market, where such vehicles now make around sixty per cent of new car sales. Wider adoption reshapes the automotive sector and global energy consumption patterns.