Emissions From China-Funded Overseas Coal Plants Equal To Whole Of Spain [1]
"SHANGHAI - Carbon dioxide emissions from China-invested power plants overseas now stand at an estimated 245 million tonnes per year, about the same as the annual energy-related CO2 emissions from Spain or Thailand, new research showed on Tuesday.
Chinese companies and government-run investment banks have now financed a total of 171.6 GW of overseas power generation capacity, representing a total of 648 plants in 92 countries, with 113.5 GW already operational, research from Boston University’s Global Development Policy Center (GDPC) showed.
About half of that total capacity is fossil-fuel related, and the pipeline of projects could add another 100 million tonnes of annual CO2 emissions if they are all completed, said Cecilia Springer, a researcher at the centre.
“China’s overseas power portfolio is still dominated by coal and large-scale hydropower, indicating that China can do more to implement its pledge to step up support for green and low-carbon energy in developing countries - especially wind and solar power,” she said."