China’s plan to promote the production of coal runs counter to efforts to cut climate-changing carbon emissions from the biggest global source. Official plans envisage an increase in coal production capacity by 300 million tons this year. China will make full use of coal as a vital part of its energy strategy, officials said during the nation’s annual gathering of parliament recently as it attempts to balance economic stability with its longer-term climate goals. Following a speech by President Xi Jinping, reiterating the importance of coal, delegates from across the country called for more investment in coal technology and new policies to shore up profits for coal enterprises. Xi told a National People’s Congress delegation from the top coal-producing region of Inner Mongolia that China, the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter, was “rich in coal, poor in oil and short of gas” and “could not part from reality”. He has let it be known that green transition is a process, and China could not simply “slam the brakes” on coal. Xi had pledged last year to “control” the use of coal use over the 2021-2025 period and start cutting consumption in 2026 as part of China’s contribution to the fight against global warming. Yet worries over energy security have already driven the output of mining to record highs. Nay more, new coal-fired power plants are being constructed. Of course, delegates tried to bridge the gap between developing coal and curbing emissions by calling for more investment in clean and “smart” coal technologies, including carbon capture and storage. This appears to be the inherent contradiction that President Xi will have to address. Going by the published minutes of closed-door meetings, the delegates also called for measures to release more supply into the market and further develop the coal chemical industry. Support was also needed to encourage technological innovations that could transform coal power into a low-carbon energy source, said Shu Yinbiao, delegate with the advisory body known as the China People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and chairman of state utility Huaneng. Equally, China needs to establish a long-term mechanism to ensure coal and power firms remain profitable and guarantee supplies, the official People’s Daily newspaper quoted Shu as saying. Jin Penghui, another CPPCC delegate and head of the Shanghai branch of the central bank, called for public funds to be made available to boost efficiency and reduce emissions from coal. The threat of energy shortages has continued to hobble policymakers after a wave of punishing power outages swept through some of the country’s industrial heartlands last year. Hua Lifeng, head of China’s state planning agency, told a briefing on the sidelines of parliament that while as much as 450 gigawatts of renewable power would be built in desert regions, more coal-fired power would be needed to maintain grid stability. China’s clean energy system is still not developed enough to handle emergencies, including extreme weather, said Muyi Yang, an analyst with British environmental think tank, Ember. China’s long-term climate goals remained unchanged, while recent state- ments indicate that coal will shift to a “supportive role”, to maintain energy security.