中国努力减少煤炭消耗

The burning of coal accounts for a staggering 80 percent of China's total electricity output. For years, the country has been trying to reduce its reliance on coal to reduce air pollution and to protect the environment.

New measures to battle pollution keep coming out.

In September, China’s legislators revised the laws again, drafting a plan to ban the production, import, sales and combustion of low quality coal nationwide.

Similar actions have already been taking place at a steady pace in many areas. Industrial zones near Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou have been banned from building new coal-fired power plants as early as a year ago. Since this August, coal containing more than 0.4 percent of sulfur by weight can no longer be used in the capital.

"We’ll start from the source. Coal manufacturers should have their own labs, equipment and personnel to supervise product quality, to make sure all coal produced and sold in Beijing meets the standard. Violators should stop selling or will be fined between 5,000 and 50,000 yuan. Users of sub-standard coal will also be fined as much as 30,000 yuan," Peng Yanwei, product quality supervisor of Beijing Admin. Of Quality & Tech. Supervision, said.

With an early start, the capital is taking the lead in reducing coal consumption.

"In 2012, coal accounted for 25 percent of Beijing’s energy consumption. By 2017, Beijing’s coal consumption is expected to be reduced to within 8 percent of the capital’s total energy use," Gao Xinyu, deputy director of Beijing Municipal Dev’t & Reform Commission, said.

The results are already noticeable at the national level. The first 6 months of 2014 saw a 5 percent cut in carbon intensity, the largest drop in many years.

The Chinese government has pledged a 40 to 45 percent reduction of carbon dioxide intensity by 2020 from the 2005 levels. It’s committed to making every effort to achieve the target.