Oil price escalation could help China grasp more green global leadership
With crude oil prices incredibly volatile as the war in Iran continues, some countries are already warning they may run out of oil.
Pakistan and Bangladesh are both introducing emergency measures as petrol and diesel reserves come under pressure. Both countries are already closing down public buildings to reduce energy use and putting restrictions on fuel use. In Bangladesh the military are guarding oil depots and there are queues building up at petrol stations in Vietnam, Pakistan and the Philippines as prices escalate.
The case for diversifying energy supplies and having more power plants in your home country potentially means being less vulnerable to what happens in conflicts in other parts of the world. And that argument might well push a change in energy strategy for countries that are struggling with supplies right now.
China is already the world’s leading green‑tech manufacturing hub in solar panels, windmills and electric vehicles, and produces more than 70% of the world’s clean tech. So Beijing is in an ideal position to benefit from any growth in the green........
