A coal-fired power plant in Datang, in November 2021, in northern China (AFP/Archives/GREG BAKER)
China announced Thursday the elimination of customs duties on its coal imports, a move likely to further increase CO2 emissions from the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases.
The most populous country on the planet promised in 2020 to start reducing its carbon emissions before 2030, but its energy balance is still 56% based on coal, a source of energy that is particularly harmful to the climate.
In a press release, the Customs Administration announced the abolition of import duties on coal as of May 1 and until March 31, 2023.
Duties on imported coal currently range between 3% and 6%.
This measure is taken in order to “further guarantee the energy supply” of the country and its development, the statement said.
Faced with electricity shortages last year, the Asian giant undertook to relaunch its coal production and ordered its mines to produce “as much coal as possible”. Coal power plant projects were also massively launched in 2021.
In the end, the coal consumption of the world’s second largest economy increased by 4.9% last year.
© 2022 AFP
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