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China's Coal Habit Is Outpacing Its Clean Energy Boom

News | 2026/06/30 05:02

China's Coal Habit Is Outpacing Its Clean Energy Boom

China's coal usage continues to rise amid investments in clean energy

China's annual coal emissions have risen by 8.8 billion metric tons since 2000, accounting for roughly 62% of the entire global increase. China's national emissions are now about 2.5 times higher than the U.S., even though its per capita emissions remain lower.

China still burns more than half the world's coal, and coal-fired power is rising again. Despite record solar and wind installations, China has not been able to replace fossil fuels quickly enough.

China's energy policy includes an 'all-of-the-above' strategy, where renewable energy production is increasing, but coal use is also not decreasing. China is responsible for over 50% of the world's coal consumption.

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