A Redditor who posted a conspiracy theory argued that China came up with "the whole green deal" to artificially inflate prices and destroy economies.
The country "has now entered the last step of their elaborate plan," the user wrote, describing without evidence a preposterous plot by the government of the second-largest economy in the world.
"Step 1: bribe EU politicians to promote green ideology and weaken EU economy Step 2: make Russia invade Ukraine to create tension Step 3: have US pull out so EU has to start [its] own arming and weapon manufacturing, thus weakening the economy even more … Step 4: take over Europe with money while they waste theirs on a war that's not gonna happen."
In the comments, they added: "And the end goal is not to destroy the world. To acquire it. Own it. And collect dividends."
The problem with this theory is that while the EU economy is not booming, it is far from struggling. Inflation was down to 2.4% in February, buoyed by a 0.9% figure in France. The region has been bogged down by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff tirade as well as French and German government immobility, the Associated Press reported.
What's more, according to the European Environment Agency, renewable energy made up for 24.5% of the EU's energy mix in 2023, and it was still growing. Such investment has saved consumers from countries in the bloc around $110 billion between 2021 and 2023, as the International Energy Agency reported and the World Economic Forum shared.
While not in the EU, the United Kingdom still has close European ties. It is emerging from a 2024 nadir, and it has also taken a leading role in the global transition to clean energy sources, shutting down its last coal plant in September and continuing as one of the world's top producers of wind power.
The CBI said this net-zero economy is dynamic and growing fast, "creating jobs, boosting productivity, and attracting billions in investment."
Even if China was forcing the U.K. and countries in the EU to invest in green energy, it's proving to be fruitful for them rather than economically flawed.
Wind, solar, and other renewable sources of electricity are generally cheaper than the dirty energy sources of coal, oil, and gas. They are also not nearly as volatile, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine immediately drove up crude oil and natural gas prices across the world.
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Definitely 💯 Clean energy helps consumers save money, and it also reduces the production of heat-trapping gases that are rapidly warming the planet and polluting the environment. Upfront costs for solar panels, heat pumps, and more can be high, but governments are subsidizing this movement because of all the benefits, not because of pressure from China.
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