CHINA’S total primary energy consumption grew 0.9 percent to 4.3 billion tons of standard coal in 2015, according to preliminary calculations published by the National Bureau of Statistics yesterday.

    Total energy production was unchanged compared to the previous year at 3.62 billion tons of coal equivalent, the statistics bureau said in its annual statistical bulletin.

    It said the share of coal in its total energy consumption mix stood at 64 percent over 2015. The figure for 2014 was 66 percent, according to last year’s bulletin.

    According to environmental group Greenpeace, the data indicate that China’s total carbon dioxide emissions fell by around 1-2 percent in 2015, driven largely by a 2-4 percent fall in coal consumption and a 5.3 percent fall in cement production.

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

    In a bid to cut pollution and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, China has introduced targets and standards aimed at improving industrial energy efficiency, but the economic slowdown has also had an impact on overall consumption.

    China said in January that coal production fell 3.5 percent, steel production fell 2.3 percent and power generation dropped 0.2 percent in 2015.

    (SD-Agencies)