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China to stop building coal energy plants abroad
President of China Xi Jinping has announced China will not build new coal-fire projects abroad
It’s a major move from the communist nation that could be pivotal in tackling global emissions.
President Xi Jinping made the announcement in his address at the United Nations General Assembly in New York which he participated in, virtually from Beijing.
China has long been funding coal projects in other countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam.
Those very projects fall under a massive infrastructure project known as the Belt and Road initiative.
But it has been under pressure to end the financing, as the world tries to meet Paris climate agreement targets.
“China will step up support for other developing countries in developing green and low-carbon energy, and will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad,”
Mr Xi said
No further comment were provided, but the move could limit the expansion of coal plants in many developing countries under China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
The Belt and Road Initiative has seen China previously fund infrastructure such as roads, trains, ports as well as coal plants in a variety of different countries. Many of those nations are classified as a developing country.
China is known to be the most pollutive country in the world, with the nation the largest greenhouse gas emitter.
China has long been heavily reliant on coal for domestic energy needs.
The President mentioned promises made last year about China achieving peak emissions before 2030 and then transitioning to carbon neutrality by 2060.