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China to Halt New Coal Mine Approvals Amid Pollution Fight

  • Country plans to close 1,000 mines to trim excess capacity
  • Aims to reduce coal's share of energy mix in 2016 to 62.6%
Workers sort coal on a conveyer belt, near a coal mine at Datong, in China's northern Shanxi province. China will suspend the approval of new mines starting in 2016 and will cut coal’s share of its energy consumption to 62.6 percent next year.

Workers sort coal on a conveyer belt, near a coal mine at Datong, in China's northern Shanxi province. China will suspend the approval of new mines starting in 2016 and will cut coal’s share of its energy consumption to 62.6 percent next year.

Photographer: Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images
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Bloomberg News
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China will stop approving new coal mines for the next three years and continue to trim production capacity as the world’s biggest energy consumer tries to shift away from the fuel as it grapples with pollution.

China will suspend the approval of new mines starting in 2016 and will cut coal’s share of its energy consumption to 62.6 percent next year, from 64.4 percent now, Xinhua News Agency reported Tuesday, citing National Energy Administration head Nur Bekri. It’s the first time the government has suspended the approval of new coal mines, according to Deng Shun, an analyst with ICIS China.