China's economic growth has stalled since 2022, but Beijing is expected to announce new measures and incentives at next month's parliamentary sessions that could trigger a recovery in economic activity.
Analysts expect China to introduce fiscal tools such as tax cuts and direct government loans from next month to boost investment and spending in key areas of the economy. If successful, the measures could increase consumption in numerous industries, leading to an overall rise in energy consumption and emissions in the world's biggest polluter.
China accounts for around 60% of global coal consumption in energy production. Higher coal consumption in China therefore means higher global consumption of the world's dirtiest energy source.
In 2023, China's total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from coal-fired power generation will reach a new high of 5.56 billion tons. While coal use outside China has declined sharply worldwide, China's share of total coal emissions has risen to a record high of 64.4% in 2023.
As a result, high coal consumption in China could lead to a further increase in global emissions, which poses a challenge as China's economic recovery must offset emission reduction efforts in other countries.
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