China has shifted from being the world’s largest fossil fuel consumer to a leading investor in renewable energy, reshaping global development pathways through green technologies, finance, and South–South cooperation. By influencing supply chains and supporting low-carbon infrastructure in the Global South, this ‘green soft power’ increasingly frames energy transition as compatible with economic growth and positions China as a key actor in global climate governance. This project regards such green soft power as a public good for the global community, providing a structural leverage point to accelerate the global green transition.