Asia still focused on coal despite low-carbon goals
Asia’s burgeoning green growth not yet enough to topple king coal
The United Nations climate negotiations in December are propelling a worldwide drive towards low-carbon growth in the energy sector, as nations submit pledges to control and reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases. In the 23 years since the Rio Earth Summit created the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the focus has been chiefly on developed nations’ efforts to rein in fossil fuel use, but this year’s meeting will see all member countries accepting a common responsibility to combat the effects of climate change. From China, with an annual carbon footprint of 9.7bn metric tons, to the island of Niue, which accounted for just 50,000 mt of CO2 equivalent emissions in 2010, 196 state
Also in this section
9 January 2026
A shift in perspective is needed on the carbon challenge, the success of which will determine the speed and extent of emissions cuts and how industries adapt to the new environment
2 January 2026
This year may be a defining one for carbon capture, utilisation and storage in the US, despite the institutional uncertainty
23 December 2025
Legislative reform in Germany sets the stage for commercial carbon capture and transport at a national level, while the UK has already seen financial close on major CCS clusters
15 December 2025
Net zero is not the problem for the UK’s power system. The real issue is with an outdated market design in desperate need of modernisation
