SHANGHAI: Though China is aiming to roll out record amounts of renewable capability this year as decarbonisation elsewhere stalls, economic challenges mean Beijing is unlikely to tackle rising fossil fuel consumption ahead of plan – and may hit a more painful maximum.
Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged last year to “strictly control” coal and start cutting the use starting in 2026 to bring its climate-warming carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to a maximum before 2030. China’s emissions are the top in the world.
Even though those targets are usually unlikely to change, environmental groups fear expanding energy security issues mean coal use and CO2 emissions could peak at a much higher level compared to planned.
Chinese language energy officials were drawing attention to the particular “return to coal” in Europe among oil and gas supply disruptions during the Ukraine issue, noting China’s shift to clean energy is not going to waver. State media have accused European countries of hypocrisy when it comes to climate action.
“As global power supplies tightened a year ago, and as many nations in Europe reboot coal-fired power, the introduction of our country’s non-fossil fuel energy has continued unabated, inch Zhang Jianhua, head of China’s power bureau, said throughout a briefing last 30 days.
Germany reconnected a mothballed coal plant to the grid this month and is expected to ramp up coal imports to keep energy stations running because Russian gas items dwindle.