Biden needs Asia’s help to meet climate goals, but is it ready to give up coal?
3 years, 8 months ago

Biden needs Asia’s help to meet climate goals, but is it ready to give up coal?

LA Times  

Smoke and steam rise from a coal-processing plant in central China, which is the largest public funder of coal-fired power plants in the world. The Biden administration is spotlighting three powerhouse Asian countries in advance of the climate summit this week, nations whose commitment to slashing carbon emissions could prove key to the meeting’s success. Though many countries rely on coal for power, the Biden administration is focusing on China, Japan and South Korea because of their global influence. “It is imperative to address the question of reducing coal dependency everywhere.” In a speech Monday, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said: “When countries continue to rely on coal for a significant amount of their energy, or invest in new coal factories, or allow for massive deforestation, they will hear from the United States and our partners about how harmful these actions are.” So far, though, pressure on China has not resulted in an agreement to do more. Chinese President Xi Jinping, even as Kerry was in China, complained in a teleconference with European leaders that the fight against global warming “should not become a geopolitical chip, a target for attacking other countries or an excuse for trade barriers.” Tensions between the countries over trade and human rights were already high, particularly after the Biden administration called China’s treatment of the Muslim Uyghur minority a genocide.

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History of this topic

Gas Got America Off Coal. Now It’s Coming for Asia’s Oil
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Gas Got America Off Coal. Now It’s Coming for Asia’s Oil

Live Mint  

-- To many in the petroleum industry, natural gas is the unsung hero of the energy transition. It may not be a clean fuel, but it’s nowhere near as dirty as coal, which it has been pushing out of grids in Japan, South Korea, Canada, and Poland over the past decade. A similar pattern played out in Europe over the …

Chinese companies use Biden’s climate law to expand their solar dominance
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Chinese companies use Biden’s climate law to expand their solar dominance

Politico  

The city’s nonpartisan mayor, Sheila Petta, called the company’s arrival “a blessing.” “The people with Trina have been marvelous,” she said. “Communist China has been working to circumvent U.S. laws and undermine American manufacturers in the solar industry for years under the Biden/Harris administration, harming our national security and energy independence,” Sen. Rick Scott, a Florida Republican, said in July, …

China is backing off coal power plant approvals after a 2022-23 surge that alarmed climate experts
4 months ago

China is backing off coal power plant approvals after a 2022-23 surge that alarmed climate experts

The Independent  

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China is backing off coal power plant approvals after a 2022-23 surge that alarmed climate experts
4 months ago

China is backing off coal power plant approvals after a 2022-23 surge that alarmed climate experts

Associated Press  

BEIJING — Approvals for new coal-fired power plants in China dropped sharply in the first half of this year, according to an analysis released Tuesday, after a flurry of permits in the previous two years raised concern about the government’s commitment to limiting climate change. China leads the world in solar and wind power installations but the government has said …

Nation sets example for green transition
4 months, 4 weeks ago

Nation sets example for green transition

China Daily  

By ZHENG XIN | CHINA DAILY | Updated: 2024-07-26 06:50 China's installed wind and solar power capacity has overtaken coal for the first time, further cementing the country's leading position in the global renewable energy sector, said industry experts. Deng Simeng, a senior analyst of renewables and power research at global consultancy Rystad Energy, said the fact that wind and …

Nation sets example for green transition
4 months, 4 weeks ago

Nation sets example for green transition

China Daily  

China's installed wind and solar power capacity has overtaken coal for the first time, further cementing the country's leading position in the global renewable energy sector, said industry experts. Deng Simeng, a senior analyst of renewables and power research at global consultancy Rystad Energy, said the fact that wind and solar capacity surpassed that of coal by the end of …

Nation sets example for green transition
4 months, 4 weeks ago

Nation sets example for green transition

China Daily  

China's installed wind and solar power capacity has overtaken coal for the first time, further cementing the country's leading position in the global renewable energy sector, said industry experts. Deng Simeng, a senior analyst of renewables and power research at global consultancy Rystad Energy, said the fact that wind and solar capacity surpassed that of coal by the end of …

China at forefront of fight against climate change
5 months, 4 weeks ago

China at forefront of fight against climate change

China Daily  

A participant takes a picture in front of a Formula E race car made of e-waste materials, which is on show at the 2024 Summer Davos in Dalian, Liaoning province. ZOU HONG/CHINA DAILY In the next five years, China's economic development will no longer lead to growth in carbon emissions and instead make a significant contribution to the global efforts …

More than 800 coal plants worldwide could be profitably decommissioned, research group says
6 months ago

More than 800 coal plants worldwide could be profitably decommissioned, research group says

The Hindu  

More than 800 coal-fired power plants in emerging countries could be decommissioned and profitably replaced by cleaner solar energy starting from the end of the decade, research on Monday showed. Though only a tenth of existing coal plants are scheduled to shut down by 2030, more could close if efforts are made to identify opportunities, the Institute for Energy Economics …

A nation supporting renewables, green transition should be commended
6 months, 1 week ago

A nation supporting renewables, green transition should be commended

China Daily  

People visit the 21st Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition held in Guangzhou of Guangdong province, Nov 19, 2023. Without China's development in the renewable energy sector, the global progress on climate change would be much slower and more costly. China's new energy vehicle sales rose 33.5 percent year-on-year in April 2024, far outpacing the overall increase in vehicle sales, and the …

Global coal use to reach record high in 2023, energy agency says
1 year ago

Global coal use to reach record high in 2023, energy agency says

Al Jazeera  

IEA report says demand is expected to grow in India, China but decline in United States, European Union. Global coal use is expected to reach a record high in 2023 as demand in emerging and developing economies remains strong, the International Energy Agency has said. The demand for coal is seen rising 1.4 percent in 2023, surpassing 8.5 billion tonnes …

Union government asks private firms to ramp up investments in coal-fired plants despite global pressure
1 year, 1 month ago

Union government asks private firms to ramp up investments in coal-fired plants despite global pressure

The Hindu  

The Union government on November 21 asked private firms to ramp up investments in new coal-fired power plants to meet a dramatic rise in electricity demand and bridge nearly 30 gigawatts of additional requirement by 2030, despite international pressure to stop building such facilities. Power and Renewable Energy Minister R. K. Singh, in New Delhi, asked private companies to invest …

EU climate chief is concerned over the expansion of the coal industry in China
1 year, 5 months ago

EU climate chief is concerned over the expansion of the coal industry in China

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

EU Climate Chief is Concerned Over the Expansion of the Coal Industry in China
1 year, 5 months ago

EU Climate Chief is Concerned Over the Expansion of the Coal Industry in China

News 18  

The European Union’s climate chief on Monday expressed concern over the expansion of China’s coal industry, with the building of new coal-fired plants. At a conference in Beijing, Frans Timmermans said that while China is forging ahead with plans to expand its use of renewable resources such as wind and solar energy, the country has also been constructing an ever-growing …

EU climate chief is concerned over the expansion of the coal industry in China
1 year, 5 months ago

EU climate chief is concerned over the expansion of the coal industry in China

Associated Press  

BEIJING — The European Union’s climate chief on Monday expressed concern over the expansion of China’s coal industry, with the building of new coal-fired plants. At a conference in Beijing, Frans Timmermans said that while China is forging ahead with plans to expand its use of renewable resources such as wind and solar energy, the country has also been constructing …

G7 summit: Are Biden and Kishida climate walkers or just talkers?
1 year, 7 months ago

G7 summit: Are Biden and Kishida climate walkers or just talkers?

Al Jazeera  

Host Japan and the US are betraying their climate commitments. Amid the global energy crisis, Russia’s continuing war on Ukraine and the closing window of opportunity to act on climate change, the heads of governments of Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States will gather at the site where the world’s first atomic bomb was …

Greenpeace claims China approves significant increase in coal power despite emissions pledge
1 year, 8 months ago

Greenpeace claims China approves significant increase in coal power despite emissions pledge

Firstpost  

The increase in coal-fired power plant licences has raised worries that China may abandon its plans to reach carbon neutrality by 2060 and peak emissions between 2026 and 2030 Beijing, China: Greenpeace claimed Monday that China has permitted a significant increase in coal power so far this year, favouring energy supply over its goal to cut emissions from fossil fuels. …

China approves coal surge despite emissions pledge: Greenpeace
1 year, 8 months ago

China approves coal surge despite emissions pledge: Greenpeace

Al Jazeera  

Approvals of coal-fired power plants fuel concerns that China will backtrack on goal to become carbon neutral by 2060. China has approved a surge in coal power this year, prioritising energy supplies over its pledge to reduce emissions from fossil fuels, according to a report by Greenpeace. The jump in approvals for coal-fired power plants, however, has fuelled concerns that …

Report: World’s coal use creeps to new high in 2022
2 years ago

Report: World’s coal use creeps to new high in 2022

Associated Press  

BERLIN — Coal use across the world is set to reach a new record this year amid persistently high demand for the heavily polluting fossil fuel, the International Energy Agency said Friday. The Paris-based agency said in a new report that while coal use grew by only 1.2% in 2022, the increase pushed it to all all-time high of more …

Almost 90% of coal plants must close to limit global heating to 1.5C, report warns
2 years, 1 month ago

Almost 90% of coal plants must close to limit global heating to 1.5C, report warns

The Independent  

Global coal use must be slashed by 90 per cent by 2050 if the world is to meet its net zero goals and limit global heating to 1.5C, a new report warns. “Over 95 per cent of the world’s coal consumption is taking place in countries that have committed to reducing their emissions to net zero,” said IEA executive director …

Emissions from China-invested overseas coal plants equal to whole of Spain
2 years, 1 month ago

Emissions from China-invested overseas coal plants equal to whole of Spain

The Hindu  

Carbon dioxide emissions from China-invested power plants overseas now stand at an estimated 245 million tonnes per year, about the same as the annual energy-related CO2 emissions from Spain or Thailand, new research showed on Tuesday. Chinese companies and government-run investment banks have now financed a total of 171.6 GW of overseas power generation capacity, representing a total of 648 …

Official: China mining more coal but increasing wind, solar
2 years, 2 months ago

Official: China mining more coal but increasing wind, solar

Associated Press  

BEIJING — China plans to boost coal production through 2025 to avoid a repeat of last year’s power shortages, an official said Monday, adding to setbacks in efforts to cut climate-changing carbon emissions from the biggest global source. China is a big investor in wind and solar, but jittery Communist Party leaders called for more coal-fired power after economic growth …

China doubles down on coal amidst rise in domestic energy demand
2 years, 3 months ago

China doubles down on coal amidst rise in domestic energy demand

Firstpost  

The push to shore up coal power has alarmed analysts who warn that it will make an eventual transition to a renewables-dominated energy mix more difficult Beijing: China has stepped up spending on coal in the face of extreme weather, a domestic energy crunch and rising global fuel prices – raising concerns Beijing’s policies may hinder the fight against climate …

Energy prices are causing chaos in Asia. Here’s why the rest of the world should worry
2 years, 6 months ago

Energy prices are causing chaos in Asia. Here’s why the rest of the world should worry

CNN  

CNN Business — In Sri Lanka, people queue for miles to fill a tank of fuel. “Energy demand has rebounded quite quickly from the coronavirus and more quickly than supply,” said Samantha Gross, director of the Brookings Institute’s Energy Security and Climate Initiative. So you’re shelling out a lot more money to try to buy the same things to keep …

G-7 pledges put coal on notice, could boost climate aid
2 years, 6 months ago

G-7 pledges put coal on notice, could boost climate aid

Associated Press  

BERLIN — Officials from the Group of Seven wealthy nations announced Friday that they will aim to largely end greenhouse gas emissions from their power sectors by 2035, making it highly unlikely that those countries will burn coal for electricity beyond that date. Under pressure to step up their financial aid to poor nations, the G-7 ministers in Berlin said …

Australia looks to fill Asia’s energy gap amid Ukraine crisis
2 years, 7 months ago

Australia looks to fill Asia’s energy gap amid Ukraine crisis

Al Jazeera  

Australia is seeing increased demand for its LNG and coal as war and sanctions upend energy supplies. Challenges to Australian exports ”China doesn’t want to rely on Australia for energy, that’s the bottom line,” Robertson said, predicting Beijing’s pivot away from Canberra will extend to LNG as well. “They’ll likely stay the course with the current projects, but it is …

Global coal plant capacity dips in 2021
2 years, 7 months ago

Global coal plant capacity dips in 2021

The Hindu  

Global coal-plant capacity under development declined in 2021, according to a report by the Global Energy Monitor, which conducts an annual survey of coal power capacity under development or deployment. After rising in 2020 for the first time since 2015, total coal power capacity under development declined 13% last year, from 525 gigawatts to 457 GW, a record low. The …

China promotes coal in setback for efforts to cut emissions
2 years, 8 months ago

China promotes coal in setback for efforts to cut emissions

Associated Press  

BEIJING — China is promoting coal-fired power as the ruling Communist Party tries to revive a sluggish economy, prompting warnings Beijing is setting back efforts to cut climate-changing carbon emissions from the biggest global source. China is one of the biggest investors in wind and solar, but jittery leaders called for more coal-fired power after economic growth plunged last year …

China promotes coal in a setback for efforts to cut climate-changing emissions
2 years, 8 months ago

China promotes coal in a setback for efforts to cut climate-changing emissions

LA Times  

Smoke and steam rise from towers at the coal-fired Urumqi Thermal Power Plant in western China. China is promoting coal-fired power as the ruling Communist Party tries to revive a sluggish economy, prompting warnings that Beijing is setting back efforts to cut climate-changing carbon emissions from their biggest global source. China is one of the biggest investors in wind and …

China, Despite Ban On Coal Plants Abroad, Continues To Build New Ones Indonesia
2 years, 8 months ago

China, Despite Ban On Coal Plants Abroad, Continues To Build New Ones Indonesia

News 18  

More than a dozen Chinese coal power projects overseas were cancelled after a ban last year on funding such plants, but loopholes could allow 18 others to still go ahead, according to a study published Friday. Since then, Chinese developers have cancelled 15 overseas coal projects as funding dried up and host countries demanded greener alternatives, a study by the …

In Southeast Asia, decades-long deals stymie shift away from coal
2 years, 10 months ago

In Southeast Asia, decades-long deals stymie shift away from coal

Al Jazeera  

Power purchase agreements that ensure “coal lock-in” for decades are complicating the region’s transition away from fossil fuels. PLN, Indonesia’s state-owned power company and the world’s 15th biggest owner of coal power plants, has pledged to retire three of its plants by 2030 and shut the rest by 2055 but cannot cancel its PPAs, Rida Mulyana, director general of electricity …

Official: Japan hopes to lead Asian zero-emissions push
2 years, 11 months ago

Official: Japan hopes to lead Asian zero-emissions push

Associated Press  

TOKYO — Japan will gradually phase out coal plants over the next two decades while developing new technologies to reduce, capture and utilize carbon, Environment Minister Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi said Tuesday. Yamaguchi said in an interview with The Associated Press that Japan hopes to lead a zero-emissions push in Asia and is preparing to introduce a carbon tax to meet its …

Southeast Asia’s Renewable Energy Puzzle
3 years, 1 month ago

Southeast Asia’s Renewable Energy Puzzle

The Diplomat  

Southeast Asian economies are growing fast, and investment in energy infrastructure to fuel that growth is racing to keep up. Thailand’s domestic production of natural gas, its largest fossil fuel resource, peaked in 2014 and after that the onboarding of renewables like solar increased at a much quicker pace. In other words, when the ability of the state to determine …

Why phasing out coal completely is easier said than done even though its future is bleak
3 years, 1 month ago

Why phasing out coal completely is easier said than done even though its future is bleak

Firstpost  

Electricity needs are soaring as the world’s population and prosperity increase, and renewables simply aren’t enough to satisfy that growth in demand Glasgow, Scotland: In the run-up to the UN climate talks in Glasgow, host Britain announced one of its goals of the conference was to consign coal to history. Government negotiators in Glasgow wrote and rewrote a paragraph that …

China, United States pledge to increase cooperation at UN climate talks
3 years, 1 month ago

China, United States pledge to increase cooperation at UN climate talks

India TV News  

The world’s top carbon polluters, China and the United States, agreed Wednesday to increase their cooperation and speed up action to rein in climate-damaging emissions, signaling a mutual effort on global warming at a time of tension over their other disputes. In back-to-back news conferences at U.N. climate talks in Glasgow, Chinese climate envoy Xie Zhenhua and U.S. counterpart John …

Reality check: Here’s what the COP26 deals actually mean for our future climate
3 years, 1 month ago

Reality check: Here’s what the COP26 deals actually mean for our future climate

CNN  

Glasgow, Scotland CNN — Delegates from around the world hammered out a number of agreements in the first week of COP26, an international summit where global leaders are attempting to limit the climate crisis. Several countries had already agreed to end coal financing, but this deal is the first to include gas and oil, so it’s something of a breakthrough. …

China submits new emissions pledge to UN with modest increase in commitments
3 years, 1 month ago

China submits new emissions pledge to UN with modest increase in commitments

CNN  

CNN — China, the world’s biggest polluter, has made only a small improvement in its emission-cutting plan formally submitted to the UN on Thursday, just days before the start of a crucial G20 leaders meeting in Rome and climate summit in Glasgow. Nick Mabey, CEO of E3G, a European climate think tank, said China’s new plan was “disappointing and a …

The ADB’s plan to help phase out coal may not achieve much
3 years, 1 month ago

The ADB’s plan to help phase out coal may not achieve much

Live Mint  

The Asian Development Bank and other financial institutions will take an ambitious proposal to end Southeast Asia’s coal addiction to the CoP-26 climate talks. Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam, its three pilot countries, have young power plants, opaque long-term pricing agreements, and do not yet make carbon emissions sufficiently costly. But as the plan’s detail are laid out, institutions supporting …

This coal plan offers only half a solution
3 years, 2 months ago

This coal plan offers only half a solution

Live Mint  

The Asian Development Bank and a handful of financial institutions will take an ambitious proposal to end Southeast Asia’s coal addiction to the COP26 climate talks. Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam — the three pilot countries — have young power plants, opaque long-term pricing agreements, and do not yet make carbon emissions sufficiently costly. This isn’t one nation in crisis …

China unveils plan to slash fossil fuels but fails to announce new emissions target
3 years, 2 months ago

China unveils plan to slash fossil fuels but fails to announce new emissions target

CNN  

Hong Kong CNN Business — China plans to cut its reliance on fossil fuels to below 20% by 2060, according to a cabinet document published in state media Sunday. Thirty years later, China aims to have 80% of its total energy use coming from non-fossil fuels, the document said, according to Xinhua. China should “manage the relationship between pollution reduction …

China tells mines to produce ‘as much coal as possible’
3 years, 2 months ago

China tells mines to produce ‘as much coal as possible’

CNN  

Atlanta CNN Business — The Chinese government has ordered the country’s coal mines to “produce as much coal as possible” as it tries to increase production as winter approaches, and ease an ongoing energy crunch. The announcement from China’s National Development and Reform Commission comes after weeks of power shortages across many provinces, forcing the government to ration electricity during …

China coal prices hit record high as floods add to supply woes
3 years, 2 months ago

China coal prices hit record high as floods add to supply woes

The Hindu  

China's thermal coal prices surged to fresh record highs on Wednesday, October 13, 2021, as recent floods in key coal producing province Shanxi worsened a supply crunch, just as new efforts by Beijing to liberalise power prices boosted demand from power generators. Data | From incessant blackouts to manufacturing slump, China's power crisis explained China, the world's largest coal consumer, …

Power shortage: China ramps up coal production despite climate targets
3 years, 2 months ago

Power shortage: China ramps up coal production despite climate targets

CNN  

Hong Kong CNN Business — China has ordered its coal mines to ramp up production in a bid to ease a power crisis, as the country struggles to balance its need forelectricity with efforts to tackle the climate crisis. Authorities in Inner Mongolia, China’s second largest coal-producing province, have asked 72 mines to boost production by a total of 98.4 …

China made its boldest climate pledge yet: not investing in foreign coal.
54 years, 11 months ago

China made its boldest climate pledge yet: not investing in foreign coal.

Slate  

This story was originally published by the Guardian and has been republished here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. President Xi Jinping’s announcement that China will stop funding overseas coal projects could buy the world about three more months in the race to keep global heating to a relatively safe level of 1.5 degrees Celsius, experts say. Although the …

What's Behind China Power Outage & What Does Climate Change Have to Do With It?
3 years, 2 months ago

What's Behind China Power Outage & What Does Climate Change Have to Do With It?

The Quint  

There are numerous inter-related reasons that have caused China's power crunch problem. The Gap in Supply & Demand of Coal China is heavily dependent on coal burning for power production, with more than 70 percent of its electricity generation being reliant on coal, according to a Bloomberg report. The problem is that because China is re-opening after spending months in …

What's Behind China Power Outage & What Does Climate Change Have to Do With It?
3 years, 2 months ago

What's Behind China Power Outage & What Does Climate Change Have to Do With It?

The Quint  

There are numerous inter-related reasons that have caused China's power crunch problem. The Gap in Supply & Demand of Coal China is heavily dependent on coal burning for power production, with more than 70 percent of its electricity generation being reliant on coal, according to a Bloomberg report. The problem is that because China is re-opening after spending months in …

China, US unveil separate big steps to fight climate change
3 years, 3 months ago

China, US unveil separate big steps to fight climate change

Associated Press  

The two biggest economies and largest carbon polluters in the world announced separate financial attacks on climate change Tuesday. “A coal-free energy mix is still decades in the future” because coal power plants typically operate for 50 years or more, said Stanford University environment director Chris Field. Starting in 2009 and then with “a grand bargain” in 2015 in Paris, …

Ahead Of Climate Talks, China Vows To Stop Building Coal Power Plants Abroad
3 years, 3 months ago

Ahead Of Climate Talks, China Vows To Stop Building Coal Power Plants Abroad

NPR  

Ahead Of Climate Talks, China Vows To Stop Building Coal Power Plants Abroad Enlarge this image toggle caption GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty Images GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty Images President Xi Jinping says China will stop financing the construction of new coal-fired power plants abroad. Xi didn't give a timetable for ending the overseas coal financing, and didn't address China's plans …

Can’t wait for years to take action: COP 26 president Alok Sharma on climate crisis
3 years, 4 months ago

Can’t wait for years to take action: COP 26 president Alok Sharma on climate crisis

Hindustan Times  

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change last week warned in a key report that the planet has only a small window left to prevent worsening effects of the climate crisis. Sharma, who is set to visit India this week, also said he expects world leaders to finalise a delivery plan for the $100 billion/year pledge for developing countries before the …

Asia disputes IEA’s call to curb new oil, gas, coal investments
3 years, 7 months ago

Asia disputes IEA’s call to curb new oil, gas, coal investments

Al Jazeera  

The International Energy Agency this week outlined a path to net-zero emissions, but some Asian nations and companies pushed back. Asian energy officials on Wednesday disputed a call from the International Energy Agency for no new oil, natural gas and coal investments for the world to be able to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, viewing that approach as too …

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