CLIMATE CHANGE
China set for massive increase in coal power
December 2, 2019 - China, the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter, is building more coal-fired power plants and approving dozens of new mines in a bid to boost its slowing economy.
China burns about half the coal used globally each year. Between 2000 and 2018, its annual carbon emissions nearly tripled, and it now accounts for about 30 percent of the world’s total.
Recent media reports and satellite images suggest that China is building or planning to complete new coal power plants with total capacity of 148 gigawatts – nearly equal to the entire coal-power capacity of the European Union within the next few years, according to an analysis by Global Energy Monitor, a San Francisco-based nonprofit group.
- China plans new coal plants, trims support for clean energy (AP)
- Coal plants by country (Global Energy Monitor)
- In China, coal creeps back in as slowing economy overshadows climate change ambitions (Reuters)
- Out of step: China is driving the continued growth of the global coal fleet (Global Energy Monitor)