Cleaner Coal in China

Kurzinformation

In 1999, the IEA Coal Industry Advisory Board (CIAB) reported on coal in China.1 Its recommendations focussed on coal sector reform and opportunities for co-operation. Today, much of that report is of merely historical interest, such is the rate of change in China over the last decade. Remarkable progress has been made in a sector that has fuelled China’s rapid economic growth, bringing with it a better life for many of China’s citizens. Today, coal production in China provides more energy to the world’s economy than the whole of Middle Eastern oil production. This report is a timely reminder that the use of coal on such a scale cannot be ignored – it is in everyone’s interest to ensure that the environmental concerns associated with coal can be managed, even in these times of economic uncertainty. It contains a wealth of information to guide those with an interest in engaging with China and helping to shape a cleaner future. Its recommendations are pragmatic. They offer opportunities for China to grasp, but only if developed countries show their commitment to clean energy by moving quickly to establish markets for technologies that are currently too expensive and not fully demonstrated. I am thinking in particular of carbon dioxide capture and storage – a critical technology for the world at large.