Issued on: 21/09/2021
The Celukan Bawang 2 power plant funded by China on Indonesia's resort
island of Bali is seen in 2020
Sonny Tumbelaka AFP/File
United Nations (United States) (AFP)
China will stop funding coal projects overseas, President Xi Jinping announced Tuesday, all but ending the flow of public aid for the dirty energy contributing to the climate crisis.
Xi made his announcement at the UN General Assembly where US President Joe Biden, seeking to show leadership in a growing competition with China, promised to double Washington's contribution to countries hardest hit by climate change.
China is still investing in coal, reducing the impact of Xi's commitment, but it is by far the largest funder of coal projects in developing countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam and Bangladesh as it goes on a global infrastructure-building blitz with its Belt and Road Initiative.
Xi vowed to accelerate efforts for China, the world's largest emitter, to go carbon neutral by 2060.
"This requires tremendous hard work and we will make every effort to meet these goals," Xi said in a recorded address.
"China will step up support for other developing countries in developing green and low carbon energy and will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad," he said.
China's announcement follows similar moves by South Korea and Japan, the only other nations that offered significant funds for coal projects.
The climate advocacy movement 350.org called Xi's announcement "huge," saying it could be a "real game-changer" depending on when it takes effect.
Helen Mountford, vice president for climate and economics at the World Resources Institute, said it was "a historic turning point away from the world's dirtiest fossil fuel."
"China's pledge shows that the firehose of international public financing for coal is being turned off," she said.
United Nations (United States) (AFP)
China will stop funding coal projects overseas, President Xi Jinping announced Tuesday, all but ending the flow of public aid for the dirty energy contributing to the climate crisis.
Xi made his announcement at the UN General Assembly where US President Joe Biden, seeking to show leadership in a growing competition with China, promised to double Washington's contribution to countries hardest hit by climate change.
China is still investing in coal, reducing the impact of Xi's commitment, but it is by far the largest funder of coal projects in developing countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam and Bangladesh as it goes on a global infrastructure-building blitz with its Belt and Road Initiative.
Xi vowed to accelerate efforts for China, the world's largest emitter, to go carbon neutral by 2060.
"This requires tremendous hard work and we will make every effort to meet these goals," Xi said in a recorded address.
"China will step up support for other developing countries in developing green and low carbon energy and will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad," he said.
China's announcement follows similar moves by South Korea and Japan, the only other nations that offered significant funds for coal projects.
The climate advocacy movement 350.org called Xi's announcement "huge," saying it could be a "real game-changer" depending on when it takes effect.
Helen Mountford, vice president for climate and economics at the World Resources Institute, said it was "a historic turning point away from the world's dirtiest fossil fuel."
"China's pledge shows that the firehose of international public financing for coal is being turned off," she said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping virtually addresses the UN General Assembly
Spencer Platt POOL/AFP
But she said that private investors needed to make similar commitments. And she noted that China itself is still stepping up coal, an industry with political clout in the Asian power as well as the United States.
On a visit to China earlier this month, US climate envoy John Kerry said the addition of more coal plants "represents a significant challenge to the efforts of the world to deal with the climate crisis."
China brought 38.4 gigawatts of new coal-fired power into operation last year -- more than three times what was brought on line globally.
Non-governmental groups in a letter earlier this year said the state-run Bank of China was the largest single financier of coal projects, pumping $35 billion since the Paris climate agreement was signed in 2015.
- Biden promises more aid -
China's promise comes as momentum builds ahead of a UN conference in November in Glasgow which aims to raise the ambitions of the Paris accord.
Support for action has been growing with the planet breaking record after record on high temperatures and witnessing devastating severe weather linked to climate change including fires, severe storms and flooding.
But she said that private investors needed to make similar commitments. And she noted that China itself is still stepping up coal, an industry with political clout in the Asian power as well as the United States.
On a visit to China earlier this month, US climate envoy John Kerry said the addition of more coal plants "represents a significant challenge to the efforts of the world to deal with the climate crisis."
China brought 38.4 gigawatts of new coal-fired power into operation last year -- more than three times what was brought on line globally.
Non-governmental groups in a letter earlier this year said the state-run Bank of China was the largest single financier of coal projects, pumping $35 billion since the Paris climate agreement was signed in 2015.
- Biden promises more aid -
China's promise comes as momentum builds ahead of a UN conference in November in Glasgow which aims to raise the ambitions of the Paris accord.
Support for action has been growing with the planet breaking record after record on high temperatures and witnessing devastating severe weather linked to climate change including fires, severe storms and flooding.
Smoke belches from a coal-fueled power station near Datong, in China's northern Shanxi province, in 2015
GREG BAKER AFP/File
One key section of the Paris accord that has lagged behind is mobilizing the $100 billion a year promised for nations hardest hit by global warming.
Biden, who has put the environment high on his agenda after defeating his predecessor, climate change skeptic Donald Trump, said the United States will double its contribution.
"This will make the United States a leader in public climate finance," Biden said.
Experts said that the announcement would take the American contribution to approximately $11.4 billion annually.
British lawmaker Alok Sharma, who will preside over the so-called COP26 conference in Glasgow, hailed Biden's announcement and said: "We must build on this momentum."
Currently, two-thirds of the funding is for mitigation -- reducing climate change -- rather than adjusting to current and expected future changes, such as sea-level encroachment, more intense extreme weather events or food insecurity.
In another climate announcement at the General Assembly, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would formally ratify the Paris agreement, which it earlier had only signed.
The developments amount to rare pieces of good news on the climate front following a slew of high-level scientific reports painting a bleak future picture, as the world's top polluters continue to spew greenhouse gases at alarming rates.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "encouraged" by the "important" US and Chinese announcements but warned that far more needed to be done to address climate change.
Last week Guterres warned the world was on a "catastrophic" path to 2.7 degrees Celsius heating according to a new study by UN scientists.
One key section of the Paris accord that has lagged behind is mobilizing the $100 billion a year promised for nations hardest hit by global warming.
Biden, who has put the environment high on his agenda after defeating his predecessor, climate change skeptic Donald Trump, said the United States will double its contribution.
"This will make the United States a leader in public climate finance," Biden said.
Experts said that the announcement would take the American contribution to approximately $11.4 billion annually.
British lawmaker Alok Sharma, who will preside over the so-called COP26 conference in Glasgow, hailed Biden's announcement and said: "We must build on this momentum."
Currently, two-thirds of the funding is for mitigation -- reducing climate change -- rather than adjusting to current and expected future changes, such as sea-level encroachment, more intense extreme weather events or food insecurity.
In another climate announcement at the General Assembly, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would formally ratify the Paris agreement, which it earlier had only signed.
The developments amount to rare pieces of good news on the climate front following a slew of high-level scientific reports painting a bleak future picture, as the world's top polluters continue to spew greenhouse gases at alarming rates.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "encouraged" by the "important" US and Chinese announcements but warned that far more needed to be done to address climate change.
Last week Guterres warned the world was on a "catastrophic" path to 2.7 degrees Celsius heating according to a new study by UN scientists.
BIDEN THE BLUFFER
US President Joe Biden addresses the UN General Assembly
XI THE MAN WHO WOULD BE MAO
In this photo provided by China's Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President and party leader Xi Jinping delivers a speech at a ceremony marking the centenary of the ruling Communist Party in Beijing, China, Thursday, July 1, 2021. (Li Xueren/Xinhua via AP)
China's Xi Jinping promises to halt new coal projects abroad amid climate crisis
Caitlin Hu and Angela Dewan
CNNDigital
Tuesday, September 21, 2021
In a rare address to the UN General Assembly, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday made a major new climate commitment on behalf of the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases.
China will not build any new coal-fired power projects abroad, Xi said in a pre-recorded speech. The vow marks a shift in policy around its sprawling Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, which had already begun to draw down its coal initiatives.
China will also increase financial support for green and low-carbon energy projects in other developing countries, he said.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who had appealed to world leaders earlier in the day to show solidarity and act on the climate crisis, hailed China's announcement alongside a US commitment to increase climate financing for developing countries.
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"I am encouraged by the important announcements made today at the General Assembly by the leaders of the world's two largest economies regarding their commitment to climate action," he said.
"I welcome President Biden's announcement that the United States of America will significantly increase its international climate finance to approximately US$11.4 billion a year. This increased contribution from the United States will bring developed countries closer to meeting their collective commitment to mobilize US$100 billion a year in climate finance."
CNNDigital
Tuesday, September 21, 2021
In a rare address to the UN General Assembly, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday made a major new climate commitment on behalf of the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases.
China will not build any new coal-fired power projects abroad, Xi said in a pre-recorded speech. The vow marks a shift in policy around its sprawling Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, which had already begun to draw down its coal initiatives.
China will also increase financial support for green and low-carbon energy projects in other developing countries, he said.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who had appealed to world leaders earlier in the day to show solidarity and act on the climate crisis, hailed China's announcement alongside a US commitment to increase climate financing for developing countries.
Sign up here to receive The Climate Barometer, delivering climate and environmental news to your inbox every week
"I am encouraged by the important announcements made today at the General Assembly by the leaders of the world's two largest economies regarding their commitment to climate action," he said.
"I welcome President Biden's announcement that the United States of America will significantly increase its international climate finance to approximately US$11.4 billion a year. This increased contribution from the United States will bring developed countries closer to meeting their collective commitment to mobilize US$100 billion a year in climate finance."
"I also welcome the announcement made by President Xi that China will end all financing of coal fired power plants abroad and redirect its support to green and low carbon energy. Accelerating the global phase out of coal is the single most important step to keep the 1.5-degree goal of the Paris Agreement within reach."
In his earlier speech to the assembly, US President Joe Biden had announced he would work with Congress to double again the United States' financial commitment to support developing nations. Biden pledged in April the US would increase its contribution to global climate financing to $5.7 billion per year, putting his new commitment over $11 billion per year.
"In April, I announced the US will double our public international financing to help developing nations tackle the climate crisis, and today, I'm proud to announce that we will work with the Congress to double that number again, including for adaptation efforts," Biden said.
Both the Chinese and US commitments were part of a day of leader speeches that marked the beginning of the UN General Debate among member states, and which Guterres had kicked off by warning humanity was on track for a "hellscape" of temperature rise that would bring "catastrophe."
Guterres had asked nations to end subsidies on fossil fuels, end the use of coal, invest in renewable energy, and tax carbon and pollution "instead of people's income."
"The climate alarm bells are also ringing at fever pitch," he said. "The recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was a code red for humanity. We see the warning signs in every continent and region -- scorching temperatures, shocking biodiversity loss, polluted air, water and natural spaces.
More than a decade ago, world leaders from developed countries agreed to contribute $100 billion a year to support countries in the Global South that are facing the most direct impacts of climate, a goal that was missed. In 2019, developed countries contributed $79.6 billion for developing countries, around $20 billion short of the $100 billion annual goal, according to a recent Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development report.
The US was also criticized for failing to transfer any money under the Trump administration; Trump pulled the US out of its global climate financing commitments when he pulled out of the Paris climate agreement. Under the Obama administration, the US paid $1 billion of a $3 billion commitment it originally made in 2014.
Even with Biden's new commitment, US allies contribute more to the effort. For instance, the European Union transfers around €25 billion a year (the equivalent of $29.3 billion).
China has invested heavily in new coal projects abroad in the past. According to the Green Belt and Road Initiative Center, which analyzes the BRI, China had announced or planned $160 billion worth of coal-fired plants globally between 2014 and 2020.
While reducing involvement in coal abroad, Beijing also has significant climate work to do domestically, where coal remains the primary energy source by a long shot. China consumed more coal than all other countries in the world put together in 2020, a study by the research group Ember showed. It accounted for 58% of the country's energy demand in 2020, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
Though Beijing has repeatedly pledge to "strive" to reach peak carbon emissions by 2030, and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, that 2060 decarbonization target is still a decade behind those of the US and European Union.
The assembly is the last major international event before world leaders meet again at the G20 in Rome in October, followed immediately by the UN climate conference in Scotland.
"We are weeks away from the UN climate conference in Glasgow, but seemingly light-years away from reaching our targets," Guterres said in his initial address. "We must get serious and we must act fast".
Indonesia clings to coal despite green vision for economy
Indonesia, the eighth-biggest carbon emitter, recently brought forward its goal for net zero emissions from 2070 to 2060 or sooner, ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November, and joined a U.S.-led Global Methane Pledge.
Reuters
September 20, 2021
Indonesia, the eighth-biggest carbon emitter, recently brought forward its goal for net zero emissions from 2070 to 2060 or sooner, ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November, and joined a U.S.-led Global Methane Pledge.
Reuters
September 20, 2021
JAKARTA: Even as Indonesia wins cautious praise from some green groups for ambitious plans to cut carbon emissions, the world's biggest exporter of thermal coal shows no sign of weaning itself off the polluting fuel any time soon.
Indonesia, the eighth-biggest carbon emitter, recently brought forward its goal for net zero emissions from 2070 to 2060 or sooner, ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November, and joined a U.S.-led Global Methane Pledge.
It also plans to stop commissioning new coal-fired power plants and phase out coal for electricity by 2056 under a new, greener long-term economic vision.
Global business leaders convene on a vast array of topics ranging from sustainability and the geo-political outlook to emerging business trends.
Register Now It has touted DME as a replacement for imported liquefied petroleum gas and a feed stock for chemicals and fertilizer.
Making DME requires burning coal, so it needs to be paired with CCS to be environmentally friendly, Dadan said.
However, if Indonesia can adopt CCS more widely and cheaply, the technology could also be applied to coal power plants, extending their usage, he said.
"This appears like a win-win move to accommodate all sides because they don't dare to firmly shut down coal completely," said Egi Suarga of the World Resources Institute Indonesia.
He said that although using CCS technology is feasible, there is risk of leakage in trying to capture emissions from burning and mining coal.
RECORD PRICE
Coal power generation is Indonesia's second-biggest emissions source after deforestation, contributing 35% of its 1,262 gigatonnes of CO2 equivalent a year, government data showed.
Indonesia consumes about 130 million tonnes of coal annually to fuel 60% of its 73 gigawatt (GW) electricity capacity, and exports about three times that amount.
Renewable sources like solar, hydro and geothermal make up just 11% of its energy mix, even though experts say Indonesia has 400 GW of renewable potential.
The government has pledged to increase the renewable share to 23% by 2025. Still, data from energy think-tank IEEFA shows that about 16 GW of new coal power capacity is expected to come online between 2021 and 2030.
"Because all the demand in Java and Bali has been met by coal, and there is even an oversupply, that is effectively killing renewable energy," said Adhityani Putri, executive director of the Indonesia Cerah Foundation.
Coal power remains the cheapest option, costing about 600 rupiah (4.22 U.S. cents) per kilowatt-hour (kWh) last year, versus gas at about 1,600 rupiah per kWh and geothermal at 1,100 rupiah per kWH, the state utility data showed.
Cerah and other green groups have campaigned to retire coal plants early, but officials have said this could trigger fines for breaching contracts with independent power producers.
Meanwhile, coal prices hit all-time highs this year, helping Indonesia book record exports and a trade surplus in August. The government raised its 2021 coal output target by 14% to 625 million tonnes to cash in.
On the flip side, parliament is reviewing a government-proposed carbon tax, and Indonesia has ambitious plans to use its nickel reserves to become a production hub for batteries and electric vehicles.
As an archipelago, Indonesia is aware of its vulnerability to climate change, but policies must consider economic developments, including the future of coal and the jobs it provides, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said.
"If you don't think about things like this, the people could get lost in all of these transitions and it could become a social problem," she told Reuters, citing how anger over U.S. coal mine closures created "populist" voters. ($1 = 14,227.0000 rupiah)
Indonesia, the eighth-biggest carbon emitter, recently brought forward its goal for net zero emissions from 2070 to 2060 or sooner, ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November, and joined a U.S.-led Global Methane Pledge.
It also plans to stop commissioning new coal-fired power plants and phase out coal for electricity by 2056 under a new, greener long-term economic vision.
Global business leaders convene on a vast array of topics ranging from sustainability and the geo-political outlook to emerging business trends.
Register Now It has touted DME as a replacement for imported liquefied petroleum gas and a feed stock for chemicals and fertilizer.
Making DME requires burning coal, so it needs to be paired with CCS to be environmentally friendly, Dadan said.
However, if Indonesia can adopt CCS more widely and cheaply, the technology could also be applied to coal power plants, extending their usage, he said.
"This appears like a win-win move to accommodate all sides because they don't dare to firmly shut down coal completely," said Egi Suarga of the World Resources Institute Indonesia.
He said that although using CCS technology is feasible, there is risk of leakage in trying to capture emissions from burning and mining coal.
RECORD PRICE
Coal power generation is Indonesia's second-biggest emissions source after deforestation, contributing 35% of its 1,262 gigatonnes of CO2 equivalent a year, government data showed.
Indonesia consumes about 130 million tonnes of coal annually to fuel 60% of its 73 gigawatt (GW) electricity capacity, and exports about three times that amount.
Renewable sources like solar, hydro and geothermal make up just 11% of its energy mix, even though experts say Indonesia has 400 GW of renewable potential.
The government has pledged to increase the renewable share to 23% by 2025. Still, data from energy think-tank IEEFA shows that about 16 GW of new coal power capacity is expected to come online between 2021 and 2030.
"Because all the demand in Java and Bali has been met by coal, and there is even an oversupply, that is effectively killing renewable energy," said Adhityani Putri, executive director of the Indonesia Cerah Foundation.
Coal power remains the cheapest option, costing about 600 rupiah (4.22 U.S. cents) per kilowatt-hour (kWh) last year, versus gas at about 1,600 rupiah per kWh and geothermal at 1,100 rupiah per kWH, the state utility data showed.
Cerah and other green groups have campaigned to retire coal plants early, but officials have said this could trigger fines for breaching contracts with independent power producers.
Meanwhile, coal prices hit all-time highs this year, helping Indonesia book record exports and a trade surplus in August. The government raised its 2021 coal output target by 14% to 625 million tonnes to cash in.
On the flip side, parliament is reviewing a government-proposed carbon tax, and Indonesia has ambitious plans to use its nickel reserves to become a production hub for batteries and electric vehicles.
As an archipelago, Indonesia is aware of its vulnerability to climate change, but policies must consider economic developments, including the future of coal and the jobs it provides, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said.
"If you don't think about things like this, the people could get lost in all of these transitions and it could become a social problem," she told Reuters, citing how anger over U.S. coal mine closures created "populist" voters. ($1 = 14,227.0000 rupiah)
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