Friends of the Earth US Statement on China’s Announcement on No New Overseas Coal Plants
NEW YORK, NY — At a United Nations General Assembly, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced China “will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad.” Although specific details of China’s new commitment to no longer finance coal power projects overseas have yet to emerge, the announcement demonstrates China’s growing recognition that coal is incompatible with mitigating climate change and promoting sustainable development.
Though China, and many of the other G20 countries, are ending public overseas energy financing for fossil fuel plants, their support for new oil and gas expansion vastly exceeds that of coal. This financing, too, must end if the world is to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change.
Economic Policy Director Doug Norlen issued this response:
This is very welcome news, and shows China is taking positive, concrete steps to fight climate change and promote sustainable development. This reflects years of patient, persistent work of communities and activists to stop harmful coal projects around the world. We hope Chinese banks, financiers, and companies will take this announcement as a signal to intensify their support for renewable energy, and to move even further by ending support for all other types of fossil fuel projects, including oil and gas.
Communications contact: Kaela Bamberger, 202-222-0703, [email protected]