Scenery along the greenway adjacent to the Daya Bay Petrochemical Zone in Huizhou, Guangdong Province. [Photo/China.org.cn]

Although China is still heavily reliant on coal as a source of energy, the China National Coal Association (CNCA) reported that the country's coal consumption has been decreasing for the first 10 months of 2015. The economic slowdown, falling production numbers and the increasing use of renewable energies were key factors, according to the CNCA.

Alternatives to fossil fuels are also an increasing source of interest in China to foreign investors.

The Marubeni Company, based in Japan, has plans for investing in Guangdong.Teruo Asada, chairman of Marubeni expressed that the company was "actively investing in renewable energies such as solar and wind power." This came from a statement made at the International Consultative Conference on the Future Economic Development of Guangdong Province.