China on track to beat climate targets as renewables soar and coal consumption drops
China has a long way to go to clean up its heavily polluted cities. But, at least, the trend is in the right direction. Figures for 2015 show that wind and solar energy surged and consumption of coal, which still provides two-thirds of China’s power, dropped. The country’s solar and wind energy capacity soared last year by 74 and 34 per cent respectively compared with 2014, according to figures issued by China’s National Bureau of Statistics. The figures back up claims made last month in Hong Kong by China’s lead negotiator at at the UN climate talks in Paris last December, that the country will “far surpass” its 2020 target to reduce carbon emissions.
China on track to beat climate targets as renewables soar and coal consumption drops
China has a long way to go to clean up its heavily polluted cities. But, at least, the trend is in the right direction. Figures for 2015 show that wind and solar energy surged and consumption of coal, which still provides two-thirds of China’s power, dropped. The country’s solar and wind energy capacity soared last year by 74 and 34 per cent respectively compared with 2014, according to figures issued by China’s National Bureau of Statistics. The figures back up claims made last month in Hong Kong by China’s lead negotiator at at the UN climate talks in Paris last December, that the country will “far surpass” its 2020 target to reduce carbon emissions.
