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China's total energy consumption rose 1.4 pct in 2016

by Reuters
Tuesday, 28 February 2017 03:33 GMT

Greenpeace says China virtually certain to overachieve 2020 climate targets "if the rapid shift to clean energy and away from over-reliance on polluting industries continues"

(Corrects standard coal consumption to 4.36 bln tonnes from 43.6 bln tonnes coal equivalent and energy production to 3.46 bln tonnes from 34.6 bln tonnes)

* Total energy production down 4.2 pct in 2016

* Coal accounts for 62 pct of energy consumption mix

* Greenpeace says CO2 emissions showed zero growth

SHANGHAI, Feb 28 (Reuters) - China's total energy consumption grew 1.4 percent to 4.36 billion tonnes of standard coal in 2016, according to preliminary calculations published by the National Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday.

Total energy production was down 4.2 percent compared to the previous year at 3.46 billion tonnes of coal equivalent, the statistics bureau said in its annual statistical bulletin.

The share of coal in China's total energy consumption mix stood at 62 percent over 2016, it said. The figure for 2015 was 64 percent, according to last year's bulletin.

Environmental group Greenpeace said the data indicated that China's total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions were steady in 2016, driven largely by a 1.3 percent decline in coal consumption over the year.

The National Bureau of Statistics does not publish regular data for China's carbon dioxide emissions.

Greenpeace said China appeared virtually certain to overachieve its 2020 climate targets "if the rapid shift to clean energy and away from over-reliance on polluting industries continues."

It expected a further 1 percent drop in CO2 emissions in 2017.

China has introduced targets and standards to improve industrial energy efficiency in a bid to cut pollution and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The country's economic slowdown has also had an impact on overall consumption.

The government far exceeded its targets to eliminate 250 million tonnes of coal and 45 million tonnes of steel capacity last year. (Reporting by Brenda Goh; Additional Reporting by David Stanway; Editing by Richard Pullin)

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