China’s smog-hit capital Beijing plans to slash coal consumption by a further 30% in 2017 as part of its efforts to combat air pollution. According to Reuters, Beijing has promised to implement “extraordinary” measures this year in a bid to tackle choking smog from traffic congestion and the heavy use of coal. The new cuts will bring coal use in the city to less than 7 million tonnes in 2017. Beijing originally aimed to bring coal consumption to below 10 million tonnes this year, down from around 22 million tonnes in 2013, and has already shut major coal-fired power stations. It has made up the supply shortfall by importing power from neighboring provinces via the grid, raising fears that the capital is exporting its pollution to surrounding regions.
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