China underreporting coal consumption by up to 17%, data suggests

Revelation may mean China has emitted close to a billion additional tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year

China, the world's largest carbon emitter, has been dramatically underreporting the amount of coal it consumes each year, it has been claimed ahead of key climate talks in Paris.

Official Chinese data, reported by the New York Times on Wednesday after being quietly released earlier this year, suggests China has been burning up to 17% more coal each year than previously disclosed by the government.