China Will No Longer Build Coal-Fired Power Plants Abroad

Chinese President Xi Jinping announced in a speech broadcast on Tuesday before the United Nations General Assembly that his country will no longer build coal-fired power plants abroad, as part of its efforts to combat climate change. Xi stated in a pre-recorded video speech aired during the General Assembly meetings that "China will enhance its support for other developing countries in promoting green and low-carbon energy sources and will not build new coal-fired power plants abroad." This move responds to a long-standing request from many environmental advocacy organizations. Numerous NGOs had urged Beijing to stop financing such projects internationally. In fact, U.S. climate envoy John Kerry went further during a visit to China earlier this month, stating that the Asian giant's continued construction of coal-fired power plants threatens to undermine global efforts to combat climate change. Kerry had asked Chinese officials to fully cease the construction of these plants "so as not to jeopardize the world's ability to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050." In his speech, President Xi reiterated his country's environmental commitments to achieve carbon neutrality "before 2060" and peak greenhouse gas emissions "before 2030."