In particular, he cited the 21st Century Coal Initiatives between the governments of China and the U.S. established in 2009 to advance clean energy, along with recommendations China keeps asserting its right to advance economic development through coal—while improving the lives of its people.
“As China’s unprecedented urbanization continues, coal provides the holistic path that the nation needs to provide abundant, affordable energy that drives social and economic progress while meeting the nation’s environmental goals,” said Boyce.
Boyce also emphasized how America’s longstanding model solving sustainable air quality—through intense, state-of-the-art emissions control technology—can contribute to China’s coal-fueled generation fleet. With some 500,000 coal-fired power plants on the Chinese mainland, a new one is built each week; the world’s most populous nation is expected to witness a migration of more than 200 million people to its cities within the next 30 years.
21st Century Coal standards, he added, include implementation of the highest worker safety standards, resource recovery, land restoration and mining sector water use. Peabody’s contribution to the 21st Century Coal Initiative was included in the China Development Research Foundation’s Energy & Environment Initiative, a report by several multinational companies, which was submitted to Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.
“China currently stands at a defining moment—the leaders of this great nation recognize that continued development must be matched by care in air and water quality. I applaud China for taking a comprehensive approach to energy policy—one that advances energy access, growth and environmental protection; China is positioned to once again lead the world in providing the global blueprint for building a sustainable energy future built on 21st Century Coal.”
