China CO2 pledge entails massive build-out of hydropower dams

Beijing’s plans to cut CO2 emissions will commit it to developing a round of ecologically destructive hydropower dams in China’s southwest, central and western provinces, The Financial Times reported, citing analysts and advocates. “By the end of the 13th five-year plan the rivers in southwest China will be basically gone,” said Stephanie Jensen-Cormier, spokesperson for NGO International Rivers, referring to China’s policy blueprint to 2020. Installed hydropower capacity is set to rise to 350 gigawatts by 2020, an increase of 60 GW, plus a possible additional 70GW in storage capacity at reservoirs created to mitigate seasonal fluctuations in power generation caused by changing river flow.