Editorial E&C 39

For weeks, China has been plagued by record temperatures; at times, thermometers have risen to as high as 44 degrees Celsius. Droughts are threatening harvests, hydroelectric power is underperforming, and coal-fired power plants have to be ramped up to supply electricity. Industry, on the other hand, is shutting down in some places: Production at Bosch, Toyota, Foxconn, CATL and other large companies in Sichuan has been cut back or is at a complete standstill. After the massive power shortages of the past year, there are now shortages again – although the government wanted to prevent this by all means. But the problem is not only due to climate change, it is exacerbated by political failure. For more details, see our first analysis.