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As eastern China’s air quality improves rapidly, 69 cities in central and western China see air quality deteriorating – Greenpeace
Beijing, 20 April, 2016 – Greenpeace East Asia’s city rankings for the first quarter of 2016 show significant improvements in average air quality in 362 cities across the country. The improvements are particularly rapid in eastern China’s three ‘key regions’. [1] However, air quality in more than 85% of cities failed to meet national standards.…
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Pollution linked to cases of cancer in Changzhou middle school – Greenpeace response
Beijing, 18 March, 2016 – The news that nearly 500 pupils in Changzhou Foreign Languages School have fallen ill, some diagnosed with cancer, most likely due to extremely high levels of groundwater and soil pollution in the school’s vicinity, is yet another reminder of the seriousness of China’s hazardous chemical pollution. Moreover, the fact that…
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Data shows China’s economy is breaking free from coal – Greenpeace
Beijing, 15 April, 2016 - A trove of data on economic performance in the first quarter of 2016, released by China’s National Bureau of Statistics this morning, shows that while China’s overall economy saw some improvement, coal use and CO2 continue to fall. Electricity consumption grew 3% year on year, but growth in non-fossil energy…
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More than 80% of shallow groundwater wells in China unfit for human use, Greenpeace reaction
Beijing, 12 April, 2016 – Yesterday's announcement from China’s Ministry of Water Resources (MWR) that more than 80% of tested shallow groundwater wells in China are polluted and unfit for human use is another stark warning of the extent of groundwater pollution in China.
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China begins to suspend coal-fired power plant approvals, Greenpeace response
Beijing, 24 March, 2016 - Chinese media today reported that the country’s National Energy Administration (NEA) has ordered 13 provincial governments to suspend approvals of new coal-fired power plant projects until the end of 2017. [1] Another group of 15 provinces has been ordered to delay new construction of projects that have already been approved.…
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45% of China’s coal-fired power plants in areas of ‘water over-withdrawal’, Greenpeace
Beijing, 22 March, 2016 – 45% of coal-fired power plants in China are located in areas of ‘water over-withdrawal’, a ground-breaking Greenpeace study of the coal industry’s impact on the global water crisis shows. Every year these power plants consume quantities of water equivalent to the basic requirements of 186 million people. Moreover, 48% of…
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China’s 13th Five Year Plan hints at stronger climate ambition – Greenpeace
Beijing, 17 March 2016 - China's 13th Five Year Plan released today could indicate the world's largest carbon emitter will ramp its climate targets up within the next five years, just weeks after a recent paper also suggested that China’s emission may already have peaked.
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Greenpeace response to the Chinese government’s MEP press conference
Beijing, 11 March, 2016 – In today’s Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) press conference, Minister Chen Jining expressed an encouraging outlook and laid out a comprehensive range of targets for the MEP. Greenpeace welcomes this vision, but urges the government to strengthen supervision of policy and to further promote public participation as a key part…
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Greenpeace: In spite of China’s overcapacity crisis, 210 new coal fired power plants received environmental permits in 2015
Beijing, 2 March, 2016 – An updated Greenpeace East Asia report has found that in 2015 a total of 210 new coal fired power plants were granted environmental permits, in spite of the sector’s severe overcapacity problem. Moreover, the rate at which these redundant power plants are being approved by provincial governments was dramatically higher…
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China’s CO2 emissions continued to fall in 2015 – Greenpeace response
Beijing, 29 February, 2016 – Statistics released today by the National Bureau of Statistics show that a fall in China’s coal consumption and CO2 emissions continued for a second year in a row 2015. The fall in coal use over past two years was equal to Japan’s total yearly coal consumption. The trend is the…
