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China’s carbon neutrality goal: more action needed on ground, report says
- Implementation gap between government’s net zero target and what is happening on the ground ‘cause for concern’, London-based research firm TransitionZero says
- Report recommends China close, convert or put into reserve 364 gigawatts of coal-fired power capacity by 2030
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China needs to halve carbon dioxide emissions from its coal-fired power plants by the end of the decade if it wants to achieve its carbon neutrality goal by 2060, according to a London-based climate research group.
While the net zero emission goal was achievable, its execution on the ground was a matter of concern, TransitionZero said in a report published on Thursday titled “Turning the Supertanker – Powering China’s coal to clean transition with actionable analytics”.
“The implementation gap between the government’s net zero target and what is happening on the ground is a cause for concern from both a climate and economic perspective,” it said.
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Specifically, the report recommended China close, convert or put into reserve 364 gigawatts of coal-fired power capacity by 2030, and regulate and reform its national carbon trading scheme known as the emissions trading system (ETS).
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Using satellite imagery, machine learning (ML) and financial modelling, TransitionZero said replacing China’s coal plants with clean energy alternatives could save US$1.6 trillion.
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