Fight against climate change: China & India continue to open coal mines plants

Amid the growing challenges posed by climate change, a worrying trend has emerged in two of the world's largest economies. Despite international calls to cut greenhouse gas emissions, both China and India continue to push ahead with opening new coal mines and power plants. The worrying action raises serious questions about your commitment to combat global warming and the resulting consequences for the future of our planet.

Scientists are sounding the alarm, emphasizing that coal-fired power is responsible for a staggering 40% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions. Therefore, any meaningful action against climate change must start with strict monitoring and control of coal-fired power plants until they can be phased out entirely.

China and India are responsible for a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions. As the largest consumers of the "dirtiest" fossil fuel, they are being lax in controlling emissions, calling into question their dedication to reducing the health impacts associated with climate change and meeting their commitments under the Paris Agreement for decarbonization.

India, despite vowing to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2070, is also persistently investing in coal-fired power plants. It has been developing new mines, increasing its coal-fired power generation capacity and easing deadlines for emissions control targets that should have been implemented five years ago.

Unrealistic goals

These two countries play a critical role in the global fight against climate change. With a combined population of more than 2.7 billion people, accounting for nearly 20% of global GDP and about a third of global emissions, the actions of China and India have far-reaching consequences.

In 2021, China was responsible for 27% of global warming gases, surpassing the United States with 11%, while the European Union (EU) and India tied for third, each contributing 7%.

In the short term, China aims to reduce its carbon intensity by 65% from 2005 levels by 2030, while India has committed to reducing it by 45% in the same time frame. However, on-the-spot inspections indicate that achieving these targets is unrealistic.

For starters, there are clear signs that older plants are not updating their emission control systems to meet modern standards. Serious doubts persist in the international community about the effectiveness of the inspections.

A study of air pollution near 1,308 coal-fired power plants in China revealed that sulfur dioxide (SO2) concentrations fell by 25% to 52% during inspections compared to pre-inspection levels. However, emissions returned to their normal baseline within 10 weeks, suggesting no sustained reduction in air pollution.

Experts admit that China's environmental regulations on SO2 emissions from power plants are strict, but say industries routinely exceed them, posing a risk to public health.

Two million deaths annually in India

The situation in India is equally alarming. Regulations for coal-fired power plants to control emissions of sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and mercury were not put in place until December 2015. Prior to that, the legislation simply required the minimum stack height. Yet even since then, monitoring of polluting industries has been "notoriously lax" and almost non-existent, leading a report by a Swiss auditing firm to conclude that by 2022, India would be home to 39 of the 50 most polluted cities. of the world.

Shockingly, Nearly two million people in India die each year due to outdoor air pollution. Meanwhile, certain financial institutions continue to finance coal-related projects. Of the 600 thermal power plants in the country, only 21 have pollution control equipment, such as flue gas desulfurization units, capable of effectively removing the main pollutants. The Indian government persists in mining in ecologically sensitive forests and tribal areas, with the ambitious goal of producing 1 billion tons of coal annually by 2026.

Two months ago, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) pledged $35 million to boost energy access and facilitate the energy transition in South and Southeast Asian countries. The hope of turning these nations away from coal in the Asia Pacific region rests on the success of ADB's "Energy Transition Mechanism". The program aims to combat climate change by providing commercial and concessional capital to accelerate the retirement or reuse of fossil fuel plants.

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