The Chinese government is helping coal-fired power plants run at full capacity

China will enable coal-fired power plants to run at full capacity. It should prevent energy shortages like last year, but the move raises warning bells about Beijing’s climate targets. China has previously said that its greenhouse gas emissions should reach its peak by 2030 and that it wants to be carbon neutral by 2060.

Last year, parts of the Chinese economy came to a standstill due to power shortages. This is due to the fact that coal is in short supply as fuel prices rise rapidly. This has led many countries to switch to gas for power generation. However, now that gas is also expensive, coal is once again very popular. China has recently increased coal production.

At a meeting of China’s State Council earlier this week, it was decided that the supply of coal would be further enhanced and that coal-fired power plants would receive government support to generate as much electricity as possible. The move comes weeks after Chinese President Xi Jinping said emissions should not be reduced at the expense of economic growth and energy security.

Two-thirds of China’s economy is powered by coal. The country accounts for almost a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. This is two times more than the US emissions and three times that of the European Union. Therefore, reducing China’s emissions is considered important in achieving the Paris climate goals.

“We are returning to a model that supports the economy at all costs,” Greenpeace China said. “China is wasting time taking critical action on the climate.”