Petroleum coke, or petcoke, is a byproduct of the petroleum refining process that produces more greenhouse gas emissions than coal or natural gas. Paul Haenle and Wang Tao discussed how the substance, which is used to generate power and manufacture aluminum, is an overlooked complication to China’s efforts to combat climate change.

Wang pointed out that how the rising price of coal has led an increasing number of Chinese firms to turn to petcoke as an inexpensive alternative fuel, as they seek to manage costs. Noting that few Chinese policymakers are aware of petcoke’s environmental impact, Wang suggested that the Chinese government should consider more robust monitoring and data collection about petcoke use, as well as potential policy responses such as carbon taxes or import tariffs, as potential ways to minimize petcoke’s contributions to air pollution in China.