Category: Climate Agenda

Beijing Disappoints COP26 Climate Analysts With Lackluster Promises

News Analysis The COP26 climate conference is taking place in Scotland, and China has already disappointed analysts who say it is not doing enough to stop catastrophic global warming. World leaders are converging on Glasgow for the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP26), and all eyes are on the world’s biggest polluter: China. But Beijing isn’t…


French President Urges China to Send a Clear Signal for Climate Change

Despite French President Emmanuel Macron calling on China’s authoritarian leader Xi Jinping to send a “clear signal” to the world on climate change before the COP26 Scotland summit, China hasn’t submitted a clear emission goal, and Xi didn’t attend the summit. On Oct. 26, the French Presidential Palace said in a statement that Macron urged…


China’s Xi to Participate in G-20 Summit Via Video Link

Chinese leader Xi Jinping will talk to leaders from the wealthy Group of 20 nations (G-20) via a video link, the Foreign Ministry announced on Oct. 29. Foreign Minister Wang Yi will be in Rome for the two-day event starting on Saturday, Wang Wenbin, the spokesperson of China’s foreign ministry, said at Friday’s briefing. While…


Chinese Leader Xi Will Skip Climate Summit Due to Trouble With Political Rivals: Experts

Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping will not be attending the upcoming United Nations climate summit. Experts say factional infighting among top CCP officials prevent Xi from traveling abroad. And securing his leadership is top priority. The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from Oct. 31 to Nov….


Biden Abandoned Critical Mineral Reserves in Afghanistan While Thwarting Mining at Home: GOP Forum

Republicans on the House Committee on Natural Resources held a forum Oct. 22 to discuss how President Biden’s exit from Afghanistan left massive, untapped reserves of rare-earth metals, lithium, and other vital minerals in Taliban hands, potentially opening them up to exploitation by China. Speakers said the Biden administration has simultaneously worked to hinder key…


Gov. Newsom Extends Drought Emergency Across California, Urges State to ‘Step up Water Conservation Efforts’

California Gov. Gavin Newsom extended a drought emergency declaration across the entire state on Tuesday following the second driest year on record as the state battles with record low storage in its largest reservoirs. The emergency declaration comes as nearly 88 percent of California and much of the American West are experiencing an “extreme” or “exceptional” drought, according to…


China’s Coal Price Hits Record High Amid Growing Power Crisis

The price of thermal coal used to generate electricity in China surged to a fresh high on Oct. 13, adding more pressure on Beijing as it attempts to tackle an ongoing power crisis. More than half of the country has recently experienced power rationing, which has disrupted the daily lives of tens of millions of…


China’s Coal Prices Hit Record High Amid Growing Power Crisis

The price of thermal coal used to generate electricity in China surged to a fresh high on Oct. 13, adding more pressure on Beijing as it attempts to tackle an ongoing power crisis. More than half of the country has recently experienced power rationing, which has disrupted the daily lives of tens of millions of…


Northeastern Chinese Province Warns of Worsening Power Shortages in Energy Crisis

The northeastern Chinese province of Liaoning imposed curbs on electricity use on Monday, marking the fifth power shortage alert in two weeks. Authorities in Liaoning issued the province’s second-highest alert level for power shortages, warning that the shortfall could reach 4.74 gigawatts (GW). The Liaoning Provincial Industry and Information Department said in a notice that…


Heavy Rain Shuts Down 60 Coal Mines in China’s Top Coal-Producing Region Amid Power Crisis

Torrential rain that lasted for almost five days straight has forced China’s coal hub to close 60 coal mines, piling further pressure on the country already grappling with a power crunch. The downpower that struck 11 cities in northern China’s Shanxi Province has triggered flooding and landslides, destroying railway lines and bridges, and causing fatalities….