China's coal mining industry is the major cause of the severe air pollution in the country. (Photo : Getty Images)
Beijing intends to quit its 800 years of coal mining by 2020 and will close its remaining three coal mines, according to an official of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform.
Li Bin, deputy director of the coal management office at the commission, noted that Beijing this year closed two coal mines that produce 1.8 million tonnes annually.
Coal from mountainous areas has always been a major energy source for Beijing's social and economic development, said Geng Yangmou, chairman of Beijing Haohua Energy Resource.
Beijing consumed over 26 million tonnes of coal in 2010, but the number declined to around 12 million tonnes in 2015.
In 2016, the central and the Beijing municipal governments so far have allocated subsidies of over 160 million yuan ($23.2 million) to coal workers and miners.
On the other hand, China recently introduced new rules to boost coal production to counter increasing prices. China's state planner, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), capped domestic mining earlier in 2016 to reduce excess capacity but this resulted in a surge in the price of coal.
China's economy, the second largest in the world, is largely powered by coal. It is having difficulty weaning itself away from coal, as this resource wreaks havoc on the environment and public health.
The country had 895 gigawatts in coal-fired power stations as of July, which covers over half its electricity generation.
