What’s happening: A climate-focused nonprofit that contributed millions of dollars toward environmental initiatives in the U.S. has been found to have significant ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

• What is the Energy Foundation? On paper, the organization is based out of San Francisco, but most of its operations are controlled by CCP-linked staff in China.

Dark money: Tax filings show that the group contributed 3.8 million dollars to push for green policies in the U.S., such as decreasing coal and gas consumption and advocating for the use of electric vehicles.

• Where’s the money going? Funds are primarily sent to advocacy and litigation groups positioned to influence public policy. For example, $375,000 was sent to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a litigation group that filed dozens of cases opposing fossil fuel drilling and the creation of the Keystone XL Pipeline.
• China’s concern is fake: Despite funding these initiatives, China produces more carbon emissions than all developed nations combined.

Why it matters: Chinese companies dominate green energy markets, producing a huge portion of products necessary for their manufacture. Seventy-five percent of all lithium-ion batteries — essential for electric vehicles — are made in China. Climate alarmism has proven a useful tool for China to increase American dependence on its markets while burdening the U.S. economy by diverting it away from cheaper energy options.

• Remember: Legacy media ridiculed Donald Trump in 2016 when he suggested that China was deceptively using a climate agenda to weaken America. The media are now silent on the evidence vindicating his claim.