China's coal addiction puts spotlight on its climate ambitions before Cop28

China's addiction to building new coal-fired power plants is becoming increasingly entrenched, even as the country is on track to reach peak CO 2 emissions before its 2030 target. As climate officials from around the world prepare to meet in the United Arab Emirates for Cop28, many are hoping that the recent joint climate agreement between the US and China, released days before Joe Biden and Xi Jinping met in California, can lay the groundwork for positive commitments at the UN's climate conference. The last major breakthrough involving China at Cop was at Cop26 in Glasgow, in 2021. At that…