Adnan Amin, director general of the International Renewable Energy Agency(File photo)
During the eighth Clean Energy Ministerial, held in Beijing from June 6 to 8, Wang Zhigang, vice minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology, said that China has significantly increased its investment in clean energy and remained the biggest investor in the world for five consecutive years.
"China now boasts the greatest installed capacity of wind power and photovoltaic power in the world, registering 149 and 77 gigawatts of energy respectively. It is also home to the biggest base of product R&D and application for semiconductor lighting," Wang explained.
The vice minister continued, "The growth of energy consumption in China has slowed markedly in recent years, while our energy mix keeps optimizing. Our energy use is now green, low-carbon, renewable and efficient. The change is in itself a reflection of the value of science and technology."
Adnan Amin, director general of the International Renewable Energy Agency, welcomed the policies of the Chinese government, noting that China has pledged to invest $361 billion in renewable energy power generation by 2020. "At the same time," Amin said, "the construction of 100 coal-fired power plants will be canceled."
During the implementation of the 13th Five-Year Plan, it is expected that 68 percent of increased energy consumption will be powered by non-fossil fuels or natural gas. Investment in renewable energy will reach 2.5 trillion RMB, and will help to create 13 million jobs.
