Steam billows from cooling towers at a coal-fired power plant in Nanjing, in China’s east. China plans to cut fossil fuel use to below 20% by 2060. Photograph: AP
China is targeting a clean energy goal of reducing fossil fuel use to below 20% by 2060, according to an official plan published by state media.
The cabinet document, released on Sunday, follows a pledge by President Xi Jinping to wean the world’s biggest polluter off coal, with a target of peaking carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality 30 years later.
But the country has been criticised for pushing ahead with opening dozens of new coal-fired power plants. Authorities have also been wanting to ramp up production, with coal prices surging and supplies running low, both factors behind recent power outages.
The guidelines come as countries gear up for a new round of climate talks in Glasgow starting on 31 October, from which Xi will be conspicuously absent.
China faces a struggle to wean itself off coal, which fuels nearly 60% of its energy-hungry economy.
But on Sunday guidelines published by China’s official Xinhua news agency laid out a host of targets in its path towards carbon neutrality.
Among them was the proportion of non-fossil fuel consumption reaching about 25% of total energy use by 2030 – when the nation targets peak emissions - The Guardian - link - Agence France-Presse (AFP) - link - more like this - link
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