95% of all new coal power being built globally is built in China.

Error detected

The claim attributes to China alone a 95% share that actually corresponds to China and India combined. China's actual share of newly commissioned coal power capacity in 2025 was approximately 80% (78 GW out of 97 GW globally).

Omissions

• The 95% figure matches the combined share of China AND India, not China alone. The speaker omitted India, which accounts for roughly 15% of new coal power.
• The claim uses the ambiguous phrase 'being built,' which could encompass commissioned, under construction, or permitted plants. Even under the broadest definition (capacity under development), China alone does not reach 95% — the 97% figure for the top ten countries is explicitly described as 'dominated by China and India,' not China alone.
• The data most relevant to this claim (2025 full-year figures from Global Energy Monitor) was published in early 2026 and would have been available to the MEP before the June 2026 session, but the MEP cited no source.

Sources

• PrimaryGlobal Energy Monitor2025 also saw China commission 78 GW of new coal power capacity, which is more than India's net coal power additions over a ten-year period from 2015 to 2024.
• PrimaryGlobal Energy Monitor — Global Coal Plant TrackerIn 2018, the top ten countries accounted for 83% of global coal capacity under development; by 2025, that share had risen to 97%, dominated by China and India.
• SecondaryCarbon BriefIn 2025, coal-capacity growth hit a 10-year high, with 97 gigawatts (GW) of new power plants being added, according to GEM. China and India had accounted for 87% of new coal-power capacity that came into operation in the first half of 2025. The shift up to 95% in the full year was driven by China alone.