Interactive: What China’s dozens of ‘five-year plans’ say about climate and energy

Share Almost three-quarters of the 72 five-year plans published by China this year include policies or targets related to climate change and energy, according to Carbon Brief analysis.

Five-year plans are an important part of China’s policymaking process, signalling key priorities and setting targets for the coming years.

The highest-level 15th five-year plan , which covers “economic and social development” for the period 2026-2030, was published in March 2026.

The government has subsequently published a number of thematic five-year plans at the national level that are specifically focused on climate and energy.

These include plans on renewable energy, responding to climate change and development of its fossil-fuel industries.

Furthermore, the large majority of national-level plans that are not directly connected to climate change also include climate policies – albeit at different levels of detail.