Page 7 - AsiaElec Week 07 2023

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China needs to cut coal use - net-

zero goal at risk

CHINA PRESSURE is building on Beijing to reduce its increase coal mining and subsequent use ahead
overwhelming dependency on all things coal-re- of its promise to phase out CPPs altogether.
lated as quickly and as efficiently as possible. Referring to his computer simulations, Bi
In a report issued by scientists based at the added that “The most shocking result was that
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, even though most countries decide to stop burn-
and published recently in Nature Climate ing coal for electricity during (the simulation),
Change, has pointed at China’s limited-time this has almost zero impact on total future coal China plays
opportunity to reduce its ongoing coal depend- use.”
ency as a “make-or-break” moment. Reducing China’s own, significant role in the a special
Lead author of the report, Stephen Bi said “(O) global coal use statistics is, Bi says, “a golden
ur computer simulation of climate economics opportunity” if Beijing acts quickly. role since it
and policy making indicates that current poli- With President Xi last year extending until
cies lead the world to less than a 5% likelihood of 2030, China’s coal expansion plans after previ- produces and
phasing out coal by mid century. ously promising a climbdown from coal use post- consumes more
This would leave minimal chances of reaching 2025, however, it is unlikely the opportunity Bi
net-zero emissions by 2050, and limiting disas- refers to will be taken by Beijing any time soon. than half of all
trous climate risks.” “China plays a special role since it produces
In assurances made by Beijing in 2021, well and consumes more than half of all coal globally” coal globally.
ahead of COP26, Asia’s biggest economy com- Bi continued. “The Chinese government must
mitted to becoming a carbon neutral state by act swiftly to curtail the coal driven COVID
2060 at the latest. recovery.”
At the time home to over 1,030 active coal The nation’s “current coal plans jeopardize Chi-
power plants (CPP), China was already operating na’s recent promise to peak domestic emissions
under a directive from President Xi Jinping, who before 2030, and to achieve net-zero by 2060. The
set a goal of carbon neutrality by 2060, although computer simulation gives China roughly 50-50
in recent months, China has actually opted to odds” Bi said. ™

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