China will start to phasedown coal consumption over the 2026-2030 period as part of itsefforts to reduce climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions, President Xi Jinping told the Climate Leaders' Summit onThursday.
"We will strictly control coal-fired power generation projects," Mr. Xi said, speaking via video link.
"We will strictly limit the increase in coal consumptionover the 14th five-year plan period (2021-2025) and phase itdown in the 15th five-year plan period (2026-2030)."
Mr. Xi's comments imply that China's coal consumption, by farthe highest in the world, will reach a peak in 2025 and start to fall thereafter.
"However, more ambitious actions are needed," said Li Shuo,senior climate advisor for environment group Greenpeace.
"It is in China's self-interest to announce and implementfurther plans ahead of COP26," he said, referring to the annualclimate meeting scheduled to take place in Glasgow in November.
Mr. Xi pledged last year that China would bring its emissions toa peak before 2030 and become carbon neutral by 2060.
"China has committed to move from carbon peak to carbonneutrality in a much shorter timespan than what might take manydeveloped countries, and that requires extraordinarily hardefforts from China," he said.
China's energy regulator said earlier on Thursday that itwould aim to reduce the share of coal in its total energy mix toless than 56% this year, but it remains one of the only majoreconomies to approve new coal projects.
Mr. Xi also reiterated China's call for industrialised countriesto help poorer nations transition to green and low-carbondevelopment.
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