Green report: Coal industry cuts emissions

CCTV International presents you a series report on China's Green Efforts. Our first episod talks on the issue of emission...With a target of a forty to forty-five percent drop in carbon dioxide emissions, China is making good on its commitment. Industry is a key player in this endeavor, particularly the coal industry. CCTV reporter Wang Mangmang finds out how things are being done in the country's mining center, Shanxi.

A fast growing economy with increasing energy needs.

But the environment is paying the price.

China depends on coal for more than 70% of its energy.

Xie Kechang, vice chairman of China Assoc. for Science & Technology,said, "So what do we do? We must utilize coal in a cleaner and more efficient way. This includes various technologies, from its exploitation, which is the source, to its processing, and eventually to its market use."

Methane from coal mines is one of the world's biggest sources of greenhouse gases. Its effect on global warming is about twenty-one times more powerful than carbon dioxide. But once recovered, it can produce clean energy for homes and businesses.

The northern province of Shanxi is the center of the country's coal mine industry. The Jincheng Anthracite Mining Group started exploring methane capture and use in 1995. Four years ago, it became a pilot project with an investment of two point two billion yuan.