A new report released by Greenpeace says the top 10 power generators in China emitted more than 1 billion tons of carbon dioxide in 2008.

Greenpeace is calling on China, the world’s largest producer and consumer of coal, to move away from coal and get serious about implementing more renewable energy sources and improving energy efficiency, which could position the country as a leader in renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. China’s electricity segment is the country’s biggest consumer of coal. The top ten Chinese power companies used approximately 600 million tons of coal in 2008, the report says.

In a July 28 press release, Greenpeace urges the Chinese power companies to phase out all inefficient coal-fired plants by 2012, which would lead to a massive reduction of coal consumption and prevent the emission of more than 220 million metric tons of CO2 a year.

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