China's Coal Binge Hurts Drive To Meet Climate Targets: Kerry

US climate envoy John Kerry warned that Beijing's coal building spree could "undo" global capacity to meet climate targets, after holding talks with top officials in China, Poormima Weerasekara reported for the Agence France Presse (AFP).

Photo Insert: Coal-fired power plant, China

Tensions between Beijing and Washington have soared in recent months with the two sides trading barbs on China's human rights record and its initial handling of the coronavirus.

Tackling climate change is among a handful of issues where the two sides had struck notes of harmony. But Beijing has in recent months emphasized that environmental cooperation could be hurt by deteriorating Sino-US relations.

Kerry told journalists on Thursday evening that the US has made it "clear that the addition of more coal plants represents a significant challenge to the efforts of the world to deal with the climate crisis."

Chinese plans for new coal plants could "undo the capacity of the world to reach net-zero by 2050," he said, adding that they had "very constructive" talks but he was also "very direct" on the topic.

Despite pledges to peak coal consumption before 2030, China brought 38.4 gigawatts of new coal-fired power into operation last year -- more than three times what was brought online globally.

China has challenged the US to fix relations with Beijing in order to make progress on climate change. But Kerry urged Beijing not to let environmental cooperation be affected by tensions between the world's two biggest polluters.

"Climate is not ideological," he said. "It is a global challenge."

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