Odd Lots

Transcript: China Is Changing Its Coal Use, And It Will Affect The Whole World

Technicians install new power lines in Wangting, Jiangsu province, China, on Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021. China's central government officials ordered the country's top state-owned energy companies -- from coal to electricity and oil -- to secure supplies for this winter at all costs, according to people familiar with the matter.Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg

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By Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway

January 31, 2022 at 3:49 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Like much of the world, China is trying to reduce its dependence on carbon-intensive energy sources, such as coal. However, as it stands right now, China uses more coal than anyone else by a large margin. And while it has a substantial stock of coal within its borders, it’s also a major importer of it. So whatever China does regarding coal policy, will have significant ramifications for the whole world. On this episode, we speak with Alex Turnbull, the co- author of a recent paper on Chinese coal usage, to discuss the country’s domestic policy aims, as well as how any changes are already affecting the economy elsewhere.