Beijing continues to maintain its emissions targets

The extreme drought that plagues China this summer causes severe pressure on its electricity system, especially in regions heavily relying on hydropower like Sichuan. In combination with the challenges of the economic slowdown, this leads to growing concerns that China might backpedal on its decarbonization ambitions, restart coal production and prioritize coal power infrastructure. However, the electricity generation data during the first half of 2022 shows China is still, slowly but steadily, increasing the ratio of renewable energy in its power mix.