Chinese coal consumption declined in 2014 for the first time this century, with preliminary data from the Chinese Coal Industry Association showing a 3.5% reduction and the National Energy Administration reporting a 0.4% drop.
“China burns half of the world’s coal and has been responsible for well over half of total CO2 growth globally for the past 10 years,” The Energy Collective reports. So “news of the coal fall represents a major step-change on two fronts: China’s war on air pollution, and global efforts to peak CO2 emissions.”
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Myllyvirta attributes the reduction to six factors: record growth in clean power generation, above-average operating conditions for hydro generation, ambitious coal reductions to improve air quality in key economic regions, slower growth in heavy industry, continuing energy efficiency improvements, and increased use of natural gas.
