Would you like to receive notifications on latest updates of the following headlines?

Germany Urges China to Find Alternative to Coal

POSTED ON June 24, 2024 •   BUSINESS      BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara
German vice-chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck during his visit to carmaker BMW's research and development center in Shanghai, China, on June 23. l Photo Credit: Reuters

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Sunday that two Chinese officials he met in Beijing told him that China was expanding coal production for security reasons.

The Minister then said Beijing must find a safe alternative to coal.

“China is indispensable to achieving global climate goals and must find a safe alternative to coal, which accounted for nearly 60% of China's electricity supply in 2023,” Habeck said at the end of a four-day visit to East Asia.

Officials told Habeck that China was expanding coal production for security reasons, the minister told reporters in the southern city of Hangzhou, the day after meeting Chinese officials in Beijing.

“China also imports large amounts of gas and oil and China has already seen what has happened in Europe and Germany in the last two years,” he added, referring to the energy crisis triggered by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

He said cooperation with China must be strengthened, adding: “Without China it would not be possible to meet the climate targets globally.”

“You don't have to teach them that CO2 emissions are bad for the climate. They've got that,” Habeck said, adding that it should be possible to achieve the same level of security with fewer coal-fired power plants.

Later, Habeck told students at the university of Zhejiang that the difficulty lay in integrating variable forms of energy such as wind and solar into a system built to work on more predictable fuels, adding: “That is basically my work.”

He said that doubling capacities was "the old way" of doing it, but not the most efficient.

Habeck said extension of the power grid and use of batteries to store energy could reduce the number of traditionally fueled power plants needed to meet China's needs, adding that economic growth and climate action were not opposites.

“Transforming the economy to a climate-neutral one is not only good for the climate but creates new opportunities for wealth and growth,” he added.

Other issues seem to overshadow curbing global warming at the moment, but it is a key challenge, so strengthening cooperation with China in this area is necessary, the minister said.

During Habeck’s visit to China on June 22, Chinese and EU officials said they agreed to start talks on the proposed imposition of tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles being imported into the European market.

 

READ ALSO
FG Mandates GPS Coordinates for Capital Projects Over N150 Million in 2025
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 25, 2025 0

The Federal Government has required that all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies provide the Globa...

READ ALSO
FG Urges Project Accountants to Prioritize Integrity in Fund Management
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 25, 2025 0

The Federal Government has cautioned project accountants and financial officers to prioritize care a...

READ ALSO
Electricity Tariffs: Power Firms Push Back Against State Negotiations
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 24, 2025 0

On Wednesday, energy commissioners from all 36 states announced their willingness to engage with pow...

READ ALSO
CBN Maintain Interest Rate at 27.5%
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 22, 2025 0

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has decided to keep the country's Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) at 27...

READ ALSO
Economic Reforms Slash Nigeria's Debt Servicing from 97% to 50%- Oloyede
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 22, 2025 0

The Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, revealed th...

READ ALSO
CBN, Private Sector Raise Concerns Over Nigeria Customs' B’Odogwu Digital Clearance System
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 21, 2025 0

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the organized private sector have expressed concerns regarding...

READ ALSO
Nigeria-Egypt Trade Surges by 68%, Foreign Minister Highlights Trade Imbalance
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 21, 2025 0

Trade between Nigeria and Egypt has seen a significant increase of 68.45 percent over the past year....

READ ALSO
Enugu State Cuts Electricity Tariff for Band A Customers to N160/kWh, Effective August 1, 2025
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 21, 2025 0

The Enugu State Electricity Regulatory Commission has released a new tariff order for MainPower Elec...

OUR CHANNELS:

FG Targets Two Million Jobs with Social Housing Programme
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 28, 2025 0

The Federal Government has set an ambitious target of creating over two million jobs throughout Nige...


Nigeria, South Africa World Cup Qualifier Set for September 9 in Bloemfontein
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 28, 2025 0

FIFA has announced that South Africa's 2026 World Cup qualifying match against Nigeria will take pla...


EU Reaffirms Support for Peace-building in Nigeria
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 28, 2025 0

The head of the European Union delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS,Reuben Alba,reaffirmed the EU's dedi...


Ogun Imams Raise Alarm over Proposed Daytime Curfew for Traditional Rites, Cite Constitutional Breach
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 28, 2025 0

The League of Imams and Alfas in Ogun State raised concerns on Sunday regarding traditionalists' int...


Tinubu Promises Grand Celebration as Super Falcons Clinch 10th WAFCON Title
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 28, 2025 0

President Bola Tinubu has promised the Super Falcons a grand celebration when they return from Moroc...


NDLEA Uncovers Creative Concealment Methods, Nabs Chinese Businessman in Drug Busts
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 28, 2025 0

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has detained a Chinese businessman, Liang Tak You,...


Three Israeli Soldiers Killed in Gaza, Raising Toll to 462 Since Ground Offensive Began
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 28, 2025 0

The military reported that two Israeli soldiers lost their lives in combat in southern Gaza, on Sund...


Yilwatda's Emergence Rekindles Debate on APC's 2027 Muslim-Muslim Ticket
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 28, 2025 0

The rise of Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, a northern Christian from Plateau State, as the National Chairman...


Inter Miami Struggles Without Messi, Settles for 0-0 Draw Against FC Cincinnati
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 27, 2025 0

Inter Miami, missing the suspended Lionel Messi, failed to capitalize on an opportunity to close the...


Nigerians in Diaspora Commission Calls for Increased Funding Amidst Budget Constraints
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 27, 2025 0

The Director-General of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has called for enh...


More Articles

Load more...

Menu