China’s growing appetite for coal threatens its Paris pledge

Between January 2018 and June 2019, China increased its coal power capacity by 42.9 gigawatts, enough to power 31 million homes, while the rest of the world reduced its capacity by 8.1 gigawatts. To meet its Paris Agreement goals, China needs to cut its coal capacity by over 40% by 2030. Currently, China is constructing 121.3 gigawatts of coal plants and may revive 26.4 gigawatts of suspended projects, totaling 147.7 gigawatts, nearly matching the EU's capacity. Additionally, China finances a quarter of global coal projects in countries like South Africa, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

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