German economy minister urges China to shift from coal power

23/6/2024 17:36

        German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Sunday that China was indispensable to achieving global climate goals and must find a safe alternative to coal, which accounted for nearly 60% of China's electricity supply in 2023.
        
        Officials told Habeck that China was expanding coal production for security reasons, the minister told reporters in the southern city of Hangzhou, the day after meeting Chinese officials in Beijing.
        
        "China also imports large amounts of gas and oil and China has already seen what has happened in Europe and Germany in the last two years," he added, referring to the energy crisis triggered by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
        
        He said cooperation with China must be strengthened, adding: "Without China it would not be possible to meet the climate targets globally".