<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/09/chinas-coal-heartland-fighting-for-a-greener-future>
"Deep in the recesses of an underground cavern, covered in dust and soot, Xu
Xiaobo wondered why, having recently graduated with a degree in mechanics, he
was on his hands and knees sifting through layers of coal sludge. But there was
no time to ponder the ancestral forces that had brought him down into one of
his province’s oldest mines. There was coal to dig for.
New to the job, keeping up with colleagues was challenging. As he tried to
crawl at speed under a conveyor belt of coal, he landed badly and sprained his
wrist. He still can’t rotate it properly.
Xu was desperate to leave the mine. He applied for scores of jobs, but along
with millions of other young people who graduated during the pandemic, he
discovered that few places were hiring. One company offered him a job on the
other side of the country but it was too far from his family.
“When I first graduated, I had big dreams, maybe a bit too ambitious,” the
26-year-old said, sitting outside the coal mine in the ancient city of Datong,
Shanxi province, where he still works. Eventually he managed to transfer to a
job in administration. “I hate the job of coal digging,” he said, his gleaming
white Reeboks testament to the fact that he is now able to work above ground.
Now, though, as China charges down the path of modernisation and away from the
coal mines that powered the first few millennia of the country’s rise, Xu has
found what he thinks is a brighter future in his home province of Shanxi. He’s
finding part-time work as a tour guide. “I truly love my hometown and hope that
more people can see it – not just as a place full of coal dust and heavy
pollution,” Xu said.
Xu’s personal journey is one that Shanxi, China’s top coal producing province,
wants to mimic on a grand scale. But the challenge is immense. With the lowest
GDP growth in the country and a local economy that is heavily reliant on
China’s most polluting resource, Shanxi’s fate in China’s green future is
uncertain.
China has pledged to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030, and to achieve
carbon neutrality by 2060. Many experts believe that, thanks to the rapid
growth of clean energy systems, China’s emissions will peak ahead of schedule,
possibly as soon as this year. Now, as China’s policymakers develop the 15th
five year plan, the economic and planning document that will lay out the
priorities for the period between 2026 and 2030, analysts are watching closely
to see how China’s green agenda will be balanced against social and economic
concerns."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
