Coal dependency in China

Coal built China – and fuels its relentless growth today. Eighty per cent of China’s electricity comes from coal, and there are plans for 544 new coal-fired power stations – to meet an insatiable demand for energy.

“There is no way that we can replace our production of coal or use alternative sources of energy to totally replace it. Because the US and some Western governments don’t abide by the Kyoto Protocol, they are not willing to reduce their carbon emissions… we feel very annoyed about that.”
China wants to be seen as a vibrant, go-ahead nation. It’s tearing down the Hutong courtyard homes of Beijing’s poorest – eager to banish their Dickensian alleyways. In their place come modern flats and all the energy-guzzling domestic appliances that come with them.

Over the past two decades, China has put economic growth above all else, and with 200 million Chinese still living on less than a dollar a day, relieving poverty remains vital.

Coal offers the way out. Nearly 80% of the country’s electricity comes from coal… that’s twice the average, worldwide. And for the time being, as the demand for power grows, this means one thing – more emissions of climate-changing gases.

BBC