HOUSTON—China is the world’s largest coal consumer, greenhouse gas emitter, and importer of liquefied natural gas (LNG) while also generating the most carbon-free energy, producing more solar and wind power than any other nation.
It’s a paradox driven by a policy shift, from near-total reliance on fossil fuels a decade ago to the rapid development of renewable energy. The transition has accelerated significantly over the past five years.
During a March 11 roundtable discussion at CERAWeek—an annual energy conference organized by S&P Global and held at the Americas Hilton in Houston—six Chinese energy leaders and academics expressed views that sounded familiar to their contemporaries from more than 80 nations attending the event….