Financing for coal power companies worldwide 2016-2019, by bank

Some of the world's largest investment banks have provided billions of dollars to finance coal power companies in recent years, undermining one of the key objectives of the 2016 Paris Agreement - "making finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development". During the period shown, the Chinese based ICBC had provided more than 21 billion U.S. dollars to coal power companies. Of the leading financers, many are headquartered in China, which is the biggest producer of carbon dioxide emissions from coal combustion in the world.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, China's demand for coal decreased during its national lockdown, which in turn reduced CO2 emissions. However, as lockdown measures loosened and demand recovered there was a surge in CO2 emissions produced by coal, with levels surpassing pre COVID levels in April and May.