China can't quit coal by 2040, researchers say, despite global climate goals

(Reuters, 23 Apr 2024) China's coal consumption will fall by just one-third by 2040, according to a report by a European consultancy published on Tuesday, threatening climate targets that call for phasing out much of global coal use by 2040.

The International Energy Agency has said that global coal power capacity has to be eliminated by 2040 to keep average global temperature rises within the key threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit).

However, Norwegian risk assessment firm DNV said in its report that its findings indicate China's coal consumption - the world's biggest - will see a "minor uptick" in the next two years and then fall by one-third by 2040, ending up at around 25% of its peak in 2050. The findings underscore China's outlook on fossil fuels. In September, former climate envoy Xie Zhenhua told the COP28 climate talks that it would be "unrealistic to completely phase out fossil fuel energy". China will continue using coal despite a massive ramp-up in renewable generation, which will make up 88% of China's power generation mix in 2050, the report predicts.

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Reuters, 23 Apr 2024: China can't quit coal by 2040, researchers say, despite global climate goals