A nuclear power plant in southeast China's Fuqing is underconstruction on Dec. 22, 2015. [Photo: Xinhua]

As the country strives to reduce pollution and seeks to move away from the use of fossil fuels, it's been revealed that China has the world's largest capacity for "new and renewable energy".

Nur Bekri is the head of the National Energy Administration.

"The installed capacity of renewable energy in China takes 24 percent of the world's total. The new installment here accounts for 42 percent globally. China has the world's largest capacity of new energy and renewable energy."

The capacity of nuclear power has increased 2 and a half times in the past five years, with hydropower capacity doubled, wind power increased four fold and solar power 170 times greater.

With the country seeing a bigger use of clean energy, pollutants from coal-burning generators have declined around 30 percent during the past five years.

At the same time, the authority has also said the country will suspend approvals for new coal mines for the next three years as it tries to trim production.

The aim is to cut coal as a share of energy consumption in China to 62.6 percent in the coming year, down 1.8 percentage points from the current share.

Over 1 thousand coal mines will also be shut down next year, removing 60 million metric tons of unneeded capacity.

This year has seen a similar number of mines closed, wiping out 70 million tons of production.