and Special address “We shouldn’t build a new coal-fired power plant,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the World Economic Forum’s Davos Agenda 2022.
“This must be a priority for all of us — phasing out coal,” he said.
Guterres, the former Prime Minister of Portugal and formerly head of Socialist International, has been Secretary-General of the United Nations since 2017.
His remarks were made just months after the COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland. Final COP26 Decision text To the parties[accelerate] Efforts to phase out unabated coal-fired power and inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, recognizing the need for support for a just transition “-significant from the parallel passage of the first draft of the text Change. From subsidies to coal and fossil fuels, without mentioning the “need for assistance”. “
“Other countries are facing huge structural obstacles. They have an energy mix that relies heavily on coal, which hinders the progress of everyone, so they. Need help. Don’t be blamed or embarrassed. Help and help emerging economies to accelerate the transition, “Guteres said.
“The United States and China have agreed that they want to provide China with better technology to accelerate the transition from coal,” he added later.
Guterres Joint Declaration Between the United States and China at COP26.
In that agreement, the parties promised to “accelerate.”[e]Coordinate “Climate Innovation” and “Development and Application of Technologies such as CCUS and Direct Air Capture”. China has promised, “During the 15th Five-Year Plan, we will phase out coal consumption and do our best to accelerate this work.”
The Epoch Times has contacted the US State Department to clarify the specific technologies China receives from the United States as part of the Glasgow Agreement and what the United States can expect to receive in return.
The Epoch Times also contacted the United Nations for comment on China’s position as an “emerging economy.”
The International Monetary Fund (IMF), an agency of the United Nations system, defines China as an “emerging market” as of 2021, according to an analysis by the IMF’s Francisco Alisara and Diyan. Website..
China’s commitment to coal comes when the country builds a large number of coal-fired power plants.
As of February 2021, the country was in the process of developing a new 247 gigawatt coal-fired power plant. according to The Energy and Clean Air Research Center represents more than 20 percent of the US’s 1,200 gigawatts of electricity generation capacity.
A Report Ember, a climate think tank, found that as of 2021, China alone accounted for 53% of the world’s coal-fired power. In 2015, China alone accounted for 44% of the world’s coal-fired power.
Meanwhile, in the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently revoked approval from the Trump administration for Unit 2 of the Jim Bridger coal plant in Wyoming. If EPA’s disapproval is confirmed, it could close the unit and cost hundreds of jobs.
US coal stockpiles also declined rapidly, reaching a historic low in September 2021, when it was last seen in 1978. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA)..
The Epoch Times has contacted the EIA for the latest statistics on the country’s total coal reserves.
US Climate Envoy John Kerry at COP26 I told a Bloomberg reporter By the end of the last decade, the United States will “run out of coal.”
Davos Agenda 2022 began with a special speech from Chinese leader Xi Jinping, introduced by WEF President Klaus Schwab.
“Developed countries respect their responsibility for emission reductions, fulfill their commitment to financial and technical assistance, and create the conditions necessary for developing countries to cope with climate change and achieve sustainable development. You should take the initiative, “Xi said. remarks..
The World Trade Organization (WTO) defines China, which joined China in 2001, as a “developing country.”
Other speakers on the first day of the virtual event included Dr. Anthony Fauci, US President’s Chief Medical Adviser Joe Biden. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also made a speech.
In a special speech, Guterres also commented on the COVID-19 pandemic, saying, “If we neglect to vaccinate everyone, new variants that spread across national borders will be born, and our daily lives and economy will be at a loss.” rice field.
“We need to prepare for the next pandemic through sensible investment in surveillance, early detection, and rapid response planning in all countries, and by emphasizing the authority of the World Health Organization,” he said. Said.
The World Health Organization, supported by the United Nations, has been widely criticized for its early response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Discussion” in April 2020 Foreign policy The organization was described as an “accomplice to the Chinese coronavirus.”and May 2020 editorial In Newsweek, John Yoo and Robert Delahunty describe WHO as “irreparable”, what is called China’s “disinformation” about the new coronavirus in the early significant stages of the emergence of a pandemic. I mentioned the role of amplifying.
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Nathan Worcester is an environmental reporter for The Epoch Times.