Thread by @CREACleanAir

Breaking: China’s power & steel firms continue to investments in coal-based capacity in 2021, even as emissions growth slowed down in the second quarter - new analysis by us and @GlobalEnergyMon.
energyandcleanair.org/china-2021q2-c…

New coal power&steel projects announced in China in the first half of 2021 alone will emit CO2 equal to Netherland’s total emissions, if built. 18 new blast furnace projects with a capacity of 35 million tonnes per year and 43 new coal-fired power plant units were announced.

70% of new power generation since the start of the COVID-19 crisis has come from coal - investments in clean energy still need to grow substantially to reach emissions goals. Announcements of new coal power plants slowed from 2020 but new coal-based steel capacity accelerated.

China's CO2 emission growth slowed down in the second quarter of 2021, after record growth rates driven by stimulus-fuelled, post-covid construction boom. In the past months, peaking carbon emissions and controlling financial excesses appears to have gained priority in Beijing.

The IPCC’s new Sixth Assessment Report on climate science showed the importance of peaking and declining global greenhouse gas emissions. As China has been the dominant driver of global emissions growth during this century, the success of China’s efforts plays a crucial role.

As coal power and coal-based steelmaking are the two largest emitting sectors in China, the country's ability to curb CO2 emissions growth depends on permanently shifting investments in these sectors to low-carbon solutions. We will continue to track this issue closely.

Read the full briefing at
energyandcleanair.org/china-2021q2-c…

报告中文版出来了 - Chinese version now available:
energyandcleanair.org/zh/china-2021q…