China's economy has been recovering steadily since the second half of 2016, spurring coal consumption in China’s energy-intensive sectors. Figures show an increase in the country's coal consumption over the first half of 2017, driven by industrial production and power generation. The growing use of coal in the industrial sector poses a significant challenge to China's key energy and environmental targets. To keep coal consumption on a downward trajectory, government agencies and heavy industry companies must act efficiently and pay specific attention to the growing trend of coal consumption in coal-intensive sectors such as steel, cement, power generation, and coal chemicals, among others. Only by implementing strict limits on coal consumption in heavy industry can China meet its targets for 2020 and achieve a long-term energy transition.

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