Green economy
Mayo 28, 2021 - < 1 min

China abandons coal

Chile and Peru benefit, Indonesia loses

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China has pledged to accelerate its decarbonization plans, reducing coal consumption from 2025 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. Plans to reach the ceiling on coal consumption have been incorporated into the current five-year plan and the reduction will be incorporated into the next one, which covers the period 2026-2030. Platts Analitics, an energy and commodities market analysis firm, estimates that peak coal consumption for electricity generation in China will be reached in 2027, a couple of years after the official target, but that thereafter the decarbonization plan will move steadily forward. The new policy of China, the world's largest coal consumer, will have implications for several countries. The change in the energy matrix will lead China to increase its nuclear, renewables and natural gas/LNG generation capacity. Countries producing raw materials related to renewables, such as Chile and Peru in the case of copper, will benefit, as will natural gas producers, such as Qatar, where China is interested in projects to exploit this hydrocarbon. The biggest loser will be Indonesia, for which coal exports account for a major part of its foreign exchange earnings and are mainly destined for China.