Tuesday, June 19, 2007

China Takes First Spot on GHG Emissions


The United States is no longer the top dog when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions. Years earlier than predicted, China has now overtaken the US.

According to the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, soaring demand for coal to generate electricity and a surge in cement production have helped to push China's recorded emissions for 2006 beyond those from the US already. It says China produced 6,200m tonnes of CO2 last year, compared with 5,800m tonnes from the US.

It's important to remember that China's increase in GHG emissions isn't offset by reductions somewhere else. It's in addition to the already massive emissions from other nations, particularly the industrialized West.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Enna says.....Out sourcing by western companies are also contributing to the problems in China. The western companies that have moved into the area are availing themselves of the cheap subsistance labour and that is reflected in the production of more coal fired electricity. In essence, the west is contributing to the increase of GHG's in China.

The Mound of Sound said...

It's a circuitous argument to blame the West for China's GHG emissions. China is a sovereign country and, as such, fully responsible for regulating GHG emissions within its territory. As a one-party state it can hardly claim to be prey to the multi-nationals. Indeed, given the enormous foreign currency reserves (surpluses) China has amassed out of this trade there would seem to be no justification for not investing that bounty in much cleaner power and water systems. The wealth that China pockets is only in its pockets because it chooses to withhold it from other purposes.

Anonymous said...

Enna says: The companies that have moved to China are still "contributing" to GHG emissions. It cannot be denied and it is trifling not to acknowledge it. It is a fact, whether China has trillions in reserves and is not taking any responsibility for cleaner air or not......it remains an actuality.