Letters | Coal is not the enemy in China’s plans for carbon neutrality
- Technology must lead the ambitious effort to achieve net zero emissions by 2060. Clean coal can and should be part of the solution
When I assumed my role at the World Coal Association in 2019, the announcement was made at China Energy’s 1,300-megawatt (MW) coal-fired Sanhe co-generation power plant in Hebei province. Significantly, global media were invited to see, first-hand, what a modern coal plant looked like – a clean complex of advanced energy innovation.
Beyond this, they learned that a modern coal company could also invest in renewables and clean technologies research that advance efficiency and emissions reduction.
Further, they were reminded that coal is a critical component of steel, cement and renewables production. After all, a 2MW wind turbine will require around 187 tonnes of coal to produce the necessary steel.
China is implementing an inclusive (not dismissive) policy of understanding the total contribution of coal in addressing energy security, economic development, and the reliable and affordable energy system needed to underpin this.
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China vows carbon neutrality by 2060 during one-day UN biodiversity summit
And here lies the fundamental difference between the approach of some developed countries (eliminate fossil fuels) and that of developing and emerging countries (favouring all fuels and technological diversity).