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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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How the Coal Industry is Aggravating the Global Water Crisis
In its Global Risks Report 2015, the World Economic Forum stated “water security is one of the most tangible and fastest-growing social, political and economic challenges faced today.”1 Out of all industrial production, the coal industry represents one of the greatest demands on fresh water resources. The entire coal supply chain, including extraction, washing, coal-fired…
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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: 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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UPDATE: Is China doubling down on its coal power bubble?
In January-December 2015, China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection and provincial Environmental Protection Bureaus gave at least one positive permitting decision to a total of 210 coal-fired power plants with a total capacity of 169 gigawatts – four power plants per week. This surge of approvals seems to have resulted from China’s decision to decentralize authority…
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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…
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Suspected Illegal Construction of Coal Chemical Plants in northwest China
Greenpeace, Beijing 14 Sept 2015 – A Greenpeace East Asia investigation has revealed evidence that 15% of all modern coal chemical projects currently under construction, or 8 out of 53, are likely proceeding without the required permission from the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP). The eight offending projects are all located in arid and environmentally…
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Friday Five: Coal in Decline, 2015 City Rankings and Pigs
Friday round-up highlighting the news and commentary of the week: Air pollution in China abates, but winter a problem: Greenpeace [Reuters] Greenpeace China released its final city rankings for 2015,…
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Pipe Dreams
In this report, Greenpeace explores the development of China’s coal-to-chemical sector and environmental problems of the industry. We look at the efforts of one such SOE, the Datang group, one of China’s top 5 state-owned power sector giants, which had the ambition of building China’s largest and most advanced coal-to-gas plants, and its most extensive…
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China declares no new coal mines for next three years – Greenpeace response
Beijing, 6 January 2016 - China announced plans recently to halt new coal mine approvals for the next three years, and close 1,000 coal mines as part of its fight against air pollution. The announcement, made in a speech by the Head of China’s National Energy Administration at the annual meeting of energy planners, also…
