Bangkok Post quoted Greenpeace said that China urgently needed to reduce its dependency on coal, saying the emissions produced by its use posed a major threat to public health in the fast-growing Asian nation.

Greenpeace activists wear respiratory masks while protesting in Hong Kong in March 2010. Greenpeace said that China urgently needed to reduce its dependency on coal. The environment group said "If China cannot swiftly reverse this dependency on coal and other fossil fuels in the near future... then it will be unable to solve the grave problem of air pollution threatening people's health."

The environmental group said "China urgently needs to pursue a low-carbon sustainable development model."

The world second largest economy which overtook Japan in the second quarter relies on coal for 70% of its fast-growing energy needs and coal combustion has become one of the nation's main sources of air pollution. It is the largest producer and consumer of coal in the world.

According to the report, coal combustion is the source of 70% of China soot emissions and 80% of its world leading carbon dioxide emissions.

(Sourced from http://www.bangkokpost.com)