Issue Brief on “China: Moving away from coal towards greener energy mix”

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The winter of 2013 was an “airpocolypse,” as dangerous smog shrouded China’s biggest cities, contributing to at least 90,000 deaths and left many affected by the adverse impact of the smog.[1] This prompted the government to take strong measures to control air pollution and led to deepening efforts to move towards the use of other energy sources that are environment friendly. China has been a major coal user and it is a known fact that the use of coal comes with repercussions.

After the deadly winter of 2013, it became imperative for China to reduce the usage of coal. Since then, consumption of coal has been reduced significantly. Many factors led to the drop in the use of coal in China, a country that is heavily reliant on the fossil fuel to produce energy. But most importantly, growing public concern over the air pollution encouraged the government to move towards greener energy mix.

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