China Briefing 20 August 2026: Oil and gas plan | Xi on climate change | Coal five-year plan
In this issue, Carbon Brief examines China’s five-year plan for coal.
New sanctions are being proposed against countries including Iran, Russia, Venezuela and North Korea, with potentially significant implications for global energy markets. To discuss what these sanctions entail and their impact on global energy markets, host Jason Bordoff (@JasonBordoff) speaks with CGEP Senior Scholar Richard Nephew (@RichardMNephew). They covers issues including: How President Trump could leave the Iran nuclear deal; Consequences of U.S. sanctions on Iran without international support; The impact of Russian sanctions on international oil markets; What sanctions against North Korea would entail; Whether or not the U.S. will impose sanctions against Venezuela.
Richard was Principal Deputy Coordinator for Sanctions Policy at the Department of State and lead sanctions expert for the U.S. team negotiating the Iran nuclear deal. He is the author of the forthcoming book in the Columbia Center on Global Energy Policy book series, The Art of Sanctions: A View From the Field.
Follow and engage with the Center on Global Energy Policy: @ColumbiaUEnergy; www.energypolicy.columbia.edu
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