According to new data, China, the world’s greatest polluter, awarded permits for 106 gigatonnes of coal-powered projects over 82 locations in 2022 alone. It is the greatest number in the last seven years, demonstrating the world’s largest emitter’s over-reliance on fossil fuels.
The study was carried out by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), a non-governmental organization based in Finland, and the Global Energy Monitor, another non-governmental organization that monitors fossil fuel infrastructure.
According to the report, the Politburo in Beijing expedited every step of the process, from project approval to acquiring financing to breaking ground to commencing construction. In comparison to 2021, coal power capacity in China increased by more than half to 50 gigatonnes. The new plants’ primary goal is to stabilize the electrical grid and reduce the likelihood of a total blackout.
If China continues overuse of fossil-fuel-dependent growth, it won’t meet its environmental obligations
As Chinese cities experienced blackouts in September 2021, a dramatic expansion in coal-powered projects was required. Last year’s troubles were exacerbated when severe droughts dried up water bodies, resulting in a sharp decline in hydropower generation.
The Chinese government is seeking to stimulate demand while the economy is still crawling and has yet to roar back to life. Power generation is the backbone of a functioning economy, and last year’s climatic conditions threw a huge wrench in the works. In 2020, Chinese President Xi Jinping committed to reducing the country’s carbon dioxide emissions by 2030. Experts predict that China will continue to expand its coal-powered energy-producing capacity over the next three to four years.
As a result, if China continues its current rate of fossil-fuel-dependent growth, it will struggle to meet the environmental obligations it has made on global platforms. It already accounts for over half of global coal production and consumption. China’s new facilities will already contribute six times the total capacity added by the rest of the globe combined.