China: The peak consumption of coal in 2013, a milestone for the fight against climate change

China reached the peak of coal consumption much earlier than what…
it was envisaged, according to a study by Chinese and British scientists.
According to researchers from the University Τσίνγχουα in China and the Research Center Γκράντχαμ in the United Kingdom, the country with the largest coal consumption in the world has reduced the burning of coal in the last two years and the findings show that this reduction is probably permanent.
The amount of coal burned in China is of particular importance both inside and outside the country, due to the resulting pollution and the resulting greenhouse gases that cause global warming. The coal consumption of China has increased dramatically over the last 15 years, from 1.36 billion. tons of coal in 2000, of 4.24 in 2013, as the country made huge leaps of development.
However, the latest statistics from the chinese government regarding the use of carbon show that production decreased by 9,7% in the first six months of this year and by 5.8% last year, while the burning of coal decreased by 3.7%. The researchers argue that there are three main factors that indicate that the recent reduction is in fact the beginning of a permanent drop: the slowing of economic growth, the slowing down of industries with high coal consumption and the environmental policies of the government.
The impressive economic growth of China was supported by the use of coal, which was at times up to three-quarters of the energy mix, but this percentage has been reduced for some period of time, as well as petrochemicals and alternative energy sources have become much more widespread. In 2015, once the 64,4% of the energy consumed came from coal, and this share is likely to continue to decline, even if the economic activity continue to grow, concludes the study.

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