Why China Wants to Lead on Climate, but Clings to Coal (for Now)
Barely a month ago, in a landmark speech to the Communist Party congress, President Xi Jinping of China promised that his country would take a “driving seat in international cooperation to respond to climate change.” But can China really be in the “driving seat” when it is burning so much coal that its carbon emissions are forecast to rise this year?
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4ba0ec_7fb2ee12cecd4acd8e784f5e01e74570~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_500,h_333,al_c,q_80,enc_auto/4ba0ec_7fb2ee12cecd4acd8e784f5e01e74570~mv2.jpg)
photo credit: vtpoly