A new coal plant in Pakistan raises questions about China’s climate pledge

News that the Pakistan government plans to secure financing and start construction on a long-stalled 300 megawatt coal-fired power plant in the port city of Gwadar has triggered a debate on the direction of the country’s energy sector. Set to be built and funded by Chinese state-owned entities, recent developments have also raised fresh questions about China’s pledge – made at the UN General Assembly in 2021 – not to build any new coal power plants overseas.

The Gwadar coal power plant was first conceived in 2016, with an estimated cost of $542.3 million. It is to be constructed by the Chinese company CIHC Pak Power, a subsidiary of the state-owned China Communications and Construction Group. The plant was recently reported to have secured financing from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China’s largest commercial bank. Once completed, it is intended to supply power, on a priority basis, to the industries being set up at the Gwadar Free Zone, a special economic zone at Gwadar port that forms part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the $62 billion bilateral infrastructure and connectivity project between China and Pakistan.

The environmental impacts of coal power – from local air and water pollution to carbon emissions – have made the project controversial.

“We are pushing the Chinese...

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