Gradual steps need to be taken on the road to a cleaner future, experts say

China's transition to new types of energy should not be carried out abruptly, but must be taken step by step, industry experts said.

In building a new type of power system featuring a gradual increase in the proportion of new energy sources, the role played by coal in supporting power production will be gradually reduced, they said.

Shu Yinbiao, president of the International Electrotechnical Commission and an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said a new type of power system with increased integration of renewable energy sources with the power grid calls for a gradual fall in the proportion of coal used, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach to suddenly stop the use of coal.