Good news for China and the entire planet : As Reuters reports, ” China will close 1,725 small-scale mines with a total capacity of 117.48 million tonnes in 2014 as part of its programme to phase out low-quality coal production “
This is done to increase the efficiency and the safety of the sector as well as cut the tremendous air pollution in Beijing and many others cities. This is taking place as coal demand is increasing in a much slower way than ten years ago.
To data published by Greenpeace, the Chinese coal consumption has gone from increases of 19.2 and 17.5 percent in 2003 and 2004 to an increase of less than three percent in the previous years.
Bloomberg has more on this report :
China Cuts in Coal Use May Mean World Emissions Peak Before 2020 : Global greenhouse-gas emissions may peak before 2020 if China achieves a plan to drastically cut its coal use, reducing carbon production equivalent to Australian and Canadian output combined, Greenpeace says.
Twelve of 34 Chinese provinces have set targets that would lower consumption of the fuel by 655 million metric tons by the end of the decade, the environmental campaign group said today. That would reduce CO2 emissions by 1,300 million tons by 2020, according to Li Shuo, a policy officer at Greenpeace.
Peaking emissions before 2020 would mean that we stand a chance in saving our civlization.
