China’s economy roared back from the pandemic on a plume of greenhouse gas emissions, raising questions over how the nation will balance new growth targets with its climate change goals. Carbon dioxide emissions rose 4% in the second half of 2020, largely as a result of a heavy-industry led recovery that saw steel and cement production surge and a jump in the nation’s consumption of fossil fuels, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, or CREA.
Beijing registered the worst air quality in over a year as its top leaders gathered in the capital for annual legislative meetings this month, prompting the local government to issue an alert for heavy air pollution starting Wednesday.
“It’s an important reminder to China,” said Ma Jun, director at the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs. “It shows that some regions haven’t really made enough effort to reduce emissions. Energy-intensive, highly polluting projects are still being approved and constructed.”