WWF says Asia-Pacific coal rush worsens global warming

Growing dependence on cheap coal to power rapid economic growth in the Asia-Pacific could undermine efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that is blamed for harmful changes in the world’s climate, experts said on Tuesday.

Between 2001 and 2006, coal use around the world grew by an unprecedented 30 percent. Asia, led by China, accounted for almost 90 percent of the growth, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said at the launch of a climate change report in Sydney.
“The Asia Pacific region is at a critical moment with regard to coal use, and is grappling with the difficult question of how to balance burgeoning energy needs with the well-being of the planet and local communities,” the WWF report said.

Coal, the most abundant conventional fossil fuel, is responsible for a quarter of the world’s total carbon emissions.

According to the International Energy Association, economic growth in India and China will account for 70 percent of the increase in global coal consumption by 2030, primarily in the electricity and industrial sectors.

The WWF said coal related carbon emissions increased by 31 percent between 1990 and 2004. If left unchecked, global coal related emissions will increase by 63 percent by 2030, compared to required greenhouse gas reductions of about 50 percent by 2050 to keep climate change at manageable levels.

Reuters