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A28 SCIENCE
Wednesday 4 december 2019
China's climate paradox: A leader in coal and clean energy

By CHRISTINA LARSON cluding Beijing, improved
AP Science Writer significantly between 2013
WASHINGTON (AP) — As and 2017. Residents long
world leaders gather in accustomed to wearing
Spain to discuss how to face masks and running
slow the warming of the home air-filter machines
planet, a spotlight falls on enjoyed a reprieve of more
China — the top emitter of "blue sky days," as low-pol-
greenhouse gases. lution days are known in
China burns about half the China.
coal used globally each In the past three years, Chi-
year. Between 2000 and na's carbon emissions have
2018, its annual carbon begun to rise again, ac-
emissions nearly tripled, cording to Global Carbon
and it now accounts for Budget.
about 30% of the world's The coming winter in Beijing
total. Yet it's also the lead- may see a return of pro-
ing market for solar panels, longed smog, as authori-
wind turbines and electric ties loosen environmental
vehicles, and it manufac- controls on heavy industry
tures about two-thirds of — in part to compensate
solar cells installed world- for other slowing sectors in
wide. the economy.
"We are witnessing many Permits for new coal plants
contradictions in China's proliferated after regulato-
energy development," said ry authority was briefly de-
Kevin Tu, a Beijing-based In this Nov. 27, 2019, photo, a solar panel installation is seen in Ruicheng County in central China's volved from Beijing to pro-
fellow with the Center on Shanxi Province. vincial governments, which
Global Energy Policy at Co- Associated Press see construction projects
lumbia University. "It's the and coal operations as
largest coal market and Nations may decide for profit. Meanwhile, invest- "Now there's a sense that boosts to local economies
the largest clean energy themselves how to achieve ment in China's renewable rather than being a leader, and tax bases, said Ted
market in the world." it. energy dropped almost 40 China is the one that is out Nace, executive director
That apparent paradox is China had previously com- percent in the first half of of step," said Lauri Myllyvir- of Global Energy Monitor.
possible because of the mitted to shifting its energy 2019 compared with the ta, lead analyst at the Cen- "It's as though a boa con-
sheer scale of China's en- mix to 20% renewables, in- same period last year, ac- tre for Research on Energy structor swallowed a gi-
ergy demands. cluding nuclear and hydro- cording to Bloomberg New and Clean Air in Helsinki. He raffe, and now we're
But as China's economy electric energy. Climate Energy Finance, a research notes that several devel- watching that bulge move
slows to the lowest level in a experts generally agree organization. The govern- oped countries — including through the system," said
quarter century — around that the initial targets ment slashed subsidies for Germany, South Korea and Nace. In China, it takes
6% growth, according to pledged in Paris will not be solar energy. the United States — are about three years to build
government statistics — enough to reach the goal, Last week in Beijing, China's rapidly reducing their reli- a coal plant.
policymakers are doubling and next year nations are vice minister of ecology ance on coal power. The world has already
down on support for coal required to articulate more and environment told re- After climbing sharply for warmed by 1 degree Cel-
and other heavy industries, ambitious targets. porters that non-fossil-fuel two decades, China's emis- sius. All scenarios envi-
the traditional backbones Hopes that China would sources already account sions stalled around 2013 sioned by the Intergovern-
of China's energy system offer to do much more are for 14.3% of the country's and then declined slightly mental Panel on Climate
and economy. At the same fading. energy mix. He did not in- in 2015 and 2016, accord- Change for holding plan-
time, the country is reduc- Recent media reports and dicate that China would ing to Global Carbon Bud- etary warming to around
ing subsidies for renewable satellite images suggest embrace more stringent get, which tracks emissions 1.5 degrees Celsius involve
energy. that China is building or targets soon. worldwide. This dip came as steep worldwide reduc-
At the annual United Na- planning to complete new "We are still faced with Chinese leaders declared tions in coal-power gen-
tions climate summit, this coal power plants with to- challenges of developing a "war on pollution" and eration.
year in Madrid, govern- tal capacity of 148 giga- our economy, improving suspended the construc- In that effort, other coun-
ment representatives will watts — nearly equal to the people's livelihood," Zhao tion of dozens of planned tries rely on Chinese man-
put the finishing touches on entire coal-power capac- Yingmin said. coal power plants, includ- ufacturing to hold down
implementing the 2015 Par- ity of the European Union As a fast-growing econo- ing some in Shanxi. prices on solar panels. wind
is Agreement, which set a within the next few years, my, it was always inevita- At the same time, the gov- turbines and lithium-ion
goal to limit future warming according to an analysis by ble that China's energy de- ernment required many batteries.
to 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius Global Energy Monitor, a mands would climb steep- existing coal operators to "China has a really mixed
above pre-industrial levels. San Francisco-based non- ly. The only question was install new equipment in record. On the one hand,
whether the country could smokestacks to remove it's seen rapidly rising emis-
power a sufficiently large sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxide sions over the past two de-
portion of its economy with and other hazardous sub- cades," said Jonas Nahm,
renewables to curb emis- stances. About 80% of coal an energy expert at Johns
sions growth. plants now have scrubbers, Hopkins University.
Many observers took hope said Alvin Lin, Beijing-based "On the other hand, it's
from a brief dip in China's China climate and ener- shown it's able to inno-
carbon emissions between gy policy director for the vate around manufac-
2014 and 2016. Today the Natural Resources Defense turing — and make new
country's renewed focus Council, a nonprofit. energy technologies avail-
on coal comes as a disap- As a result, the air quality able at scale, faster and
pointment. in many Chinese cities, in- cheaper."q