In the fight to limit global warming, no country matters more than China — a massive coal-dependent country, which is responsible for 30 percent of global carbon-dioxide emissions. Fortunately, it is moving to improve its environmental record. But is it doing enough?
If China could pursue only one goal, it should be cutting its reliance on coal energy. The country is home to one-sixth of the world's people, yet it accounts for almost one-half of global coal consumption. If China does not reduce that share and cut its greenhouse-gas emissions, keeping global warming in check will prove impossible.
The good news is that coal use in China seems to have fallen slightly last year — a trend that is expected to continue. The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis estimates that the share of coal-generated electricity in China will decline from 72.5 percent in 2014 to 60 percent in 2020. While last year's drop in coal use may have been a technical blip, Chinese coal consumption is expected to peak very soon — probably next year.