Global Courant
The European Union’s climate chief expressed concern on Monday about the expansion of China’s coal industry, with the construction of new coal-fired power plants.
Speaking at a conference in Beijing, Frans Timmermans said that while China continues to plan to expand its use of renewable sources such as wind and solar energy, the country has also built an ever-growing number of coal-fired power plants in the past. a few years.
“And that seems to contradict and is contradictory,” said Timmermans. “But at the same time, I understand the anxiety caused by potential blackouts.”
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China is the world’s largest and fastest growing producer of renewable energy. It aims to make one-third of its total power supply renewable by 2025.
As more cities experience sweltering temperatures this summer, the country could face power shortages and power grid challenges similar to last year. At the same time, water shortages have led to a reduction in hydropower generation.
On May 24, 2023, excavators are shown transferring coal at a port in Lianyungang, China. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)
China’s Climate Envoy Xie Zhenhua attended the conference and presented a commemorative plaque to Timmermans, who is on a two-day visit to China for the EU-China High-level Environment and Climate Dialogue.
Official plans last year called for a 300 million ton increase in coal production capacity, at least the third consecutive year of growth.
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While China is one of the largest investors in wind and solar energy, concerned leaders called for more coal-fired energy after economic growth collapsed and shortages led to blackouts and factory closures. Russia’s attack on Ukraine raised fears that foreign oil and coal supplies could be disrupted.
China is the largest producer and consumer of coal. Global trends depend on what Beijing does.
The Communist Party has rejected binding emissions commitments, citing its economic development needs. Beijing has avoided joining governments that pledged to phase out the use of coal-fired power.
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China has said that carbon emissions will peak by 2030 and that the country will become carbon neutral by 2060 through tree planting and other offsets.
Some European and US officials have called on China to set more ambitious targets. China is responsible for 26.1% of global emissions, more than double the US share of 12.8%.
