EU calls on China to stop building coal-fired power plants

The European Union believes that China should stop building new coal-fired power plants and contribute to a global fund to help poor countries affected by climate change.

This was stated by the European Commissioner for Climate Change, Wopke Hoekstra, AP reports.

According to the European Commissioner, he raised these issues during conversations with his Chinese counterparts on the eve of the UN climate talks that open in Dubai at the end of this month.

The EU and the US believe that richer emerging economies, such as China and Saudi Arabia, should also contribute money to the fund. What is fair for the European Union and North America should be fair for any country with economic and geopolitical power, Hoekstra said.

"And that means reducing emissions and paying their fair share of the bill for those who can't. Every country that has the ability to pay and contribute should do so," he emphasized.

At the same time, the European Commissioner welcomed the recent steps taken by the Chinese government to tackle methane emissions, another greenhouse gas, although he emphasized that more needs to be done.

Author - Olena Madiak, 17/11/2023