More than 70 per cent of Serbia energy comes from coal while

coal project in Serbia adds to climate change worry

KOSTOLAC, Serbia A foul smell permeates the air in this grey mining town where people rarely open their windows as thick smoke billows from huge chimneys of Serbia canada goose parka outlet main coal fired power station.

Things are to get only worse for residents living close to the Kostolac power plant complex in eastern Serbia which is currently being expanded with a $715 million loan from a Chinese state bank and constructed by one of China largest companies. President Donald Trump abruptly canada goose outlet toronto withdrew from canada goose outlet store calgary the Paris agreement on tackling global climate change in 2017, China was seen as the champion in the battle to cut carbon emissions and prevent a global environmental catastrophe.

Experts say that while tackling pollution at home by implementing renewable energy projects and reducing the use of canada goose outlet toronto location coal, by far the most polluting fossil fuel, China is pursuing a different strategy abroad.

cheap Canada Goose Chinese companies are the world largest investors in overseas coal plants. They are involved in the building of about a fifth of new coal fired energy capacity around the world, mostly in the countries along its canada goose outlet ambitious and Road investment program which is seen in canada goose outlet london the West as an attempt by China to globally increase its political and economic influence. cheap Canada Goose

Canada Goose Parka Beijing has issued guidelines on foreign investments, urging environmentally friendly practices. But a major worry is that the guidelines aren binding and that the power stations are built mostly in developing states which have low pollution emission standards, or no set standards at all. Canada Goose Parka

uk canada goose outlet (Chinese) central government explicitly stipulated that all Belt and Road Initiative projects should be green and low carbon projects, China special representative for climate change affairs, Xie Zhenhua, said in Beijing. all projects underway introduced the most advanced technology to save resources and energy, and do its utmost to ensure emission reduction. Wei, a Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner, said that China has overcapacity at home, so the market space for coal power companies shrinking a lot, prompting Chinese construction companies to seek lucrative deals abroad. uk canada goose outlet

Canada Goose sale is on the right track of fulfilling its domestic commitment on reducing carbon emissions. But its plan to invest in the and Road countries, especially infrastructure, could have a potentially big climate impact, she said. Canada Goose sale

canada goose store far they (the Chinese government) define as complying with local environmental standards, and we don think that enough because a lot of the recipient countries have very low environmental standards. So I think it up to China, both China and the recipient countries to lift the standard, Huang said. canada goose store

Experts say yokosukabase.com that the Paris agreement goals can only be met by cutting emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to net zero by 2050.

canada goose clearance sale But the Paris deal let countries canada goose outlet michigan set their own emissions targets. Some are on track, others aren Overall, the world is heading the wrong way. canada goose clearance sale

Last week, the World Meteorological Organization said globally averaged concentrations of carbon dioxide reached a new record in 2017, while the level of other heat trapping canada goose outlet shop gases such as methane and nitrous oxide also rose.

This year is expected to see another 2 per cent increase in human made emissions, as construction of coal fired power plants, like the one in Serbia, continue while carbon absorbing forests are felled faster than they can regrow.

Chinese construction workers wearing hard hats are building a huge chimney for the new B Serbian power plant, which will be fueled by the light brown variety called lignite considered to be among the most heavily polluting fossil fuels. It produces huge amount of ash that has to be carefully deposited on vast fields with water sprinklers to prevent the dust from being blown into the atmosphere or the nearby Danube.

canada goose factory sale Serbian state power company EPS says the new 350 megawatt unit, to be operational by 2020, will meet the highest environmental standards. More than 70 per cent of Serbia energy comes from coal while the rest is from hydro power. canada goose factory sale

is very important to emphasize is that we canada goose outlet online uk are doing this project absolutely in accordance with European standards and Serbian laws, said Zeljko Lazovic, the plant EPS project manager.

Energy analyst Misha Brkic said Serbia government making a canada goose outlet authentic crucial mistake by insisting on the use of coal as fuel for the production of electricity instead of focusing on renewable energy.

canadian goose jacket chosen (Chinese) partner does have money and offers technology, but we as a country that wants to build power plants or renew and modernize the existing ones, we don have enough experience and knowledge and sometimes also not enough sense for European standards. Machinery Engineering Corporation, which is expanding the plant, has refused to comment despite repeated requests. canadian goose jacket

Residents living near the Kostolac plant say that most of the pollution comes from the lignite ash field and the open pit mine that will expand even further when the new plant starts production.

canada goose uk black friday we wash our laundry, we leave it to dry and then in three days you see how white laundry becomes black laundry, said Dejan Grujic, a local resident. winds are strong, it is a catastrophe. Kang and Liu Zheng contributed to this story from Beijing canada goose uk black friday.