Climate Change: GHG Emissions in China
China is one of the most important countries in the global debate for climate change. Due to its reliance on coal and to its economic and population growth, it leads the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It released its first and only greenhouse gas inventory in 1994.
GHG Emissions China 2005
| GHG emissions | 7,527 metric tons CO2e |
| GHG emissions per capita | 6 metric tons per capita (bellow world average) |
| GHG emissions per Gross National Income (purchasing power parities) | 1,4 tons per 1000 US$ GNI |
CSR Report for Congress – China´s Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Mitigation Policies
According to the International Energy Agency IEA, by 2005 China was responsible for 17% of the global emissions, caused mainly by energy production (70% coal, 20% petroleum). CO2 had the largest share, and it is estimated that from 1990 to 2005 China´s total amount of CO2 emissions increased 48% (IEA).
The following graph shows how most of its GHG emissions are associated to capital investment and consumption (growing population and income). In the last years, exports have also represented a significant growth.
In 2005, fuel combustion accounted for 68% of the emissions (more than ¾ due to electricity & heat and for manufacturing and construction), followed by agriculture (14%) and industrial processes (10%).
China is part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol, but as a developing country it has no CO2 limits until 2012. In 2007 China released its National Climate Change Program, which outlines activities to mitigate GHG emissions by improving energy efficiency, diversifying its energy sources, reducing polluting emissions, and suppressing vehicle demand.
Despite of these efforts, China’s GHG emissions are expected to continue growing: the U.S. Energy Information Administration forecasts an average annual growth rate in Chinese CO2 emissions of 3.3% between 2005 and 2030. The main challenges affecting China’s future GHG emissions are: population growth and increasing urbanization, economic development, demand and new pattern of and consumption, technological improvement and changes in forestry and ecological preservation and construction.
Sources
Greenhouse Gas Emission Sources and Trends. World Resources Institute. More information: http://earthtrendsdelivered.org/taxonomy/term/64?page=2
Leggett, Jane A.; Logan. Jeffrey; Mackey, Anna. CSR Report for Congress. China´s Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Mitigation Policies. September 10, 2008. More information: https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL34659.pdf
World carbon dioxide emissions data by country: China speeds ahead of the rest. The Guardian. More information: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/jan/31/world-carbon-dioxide-emissions-country-data-co2#data
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31 Jan 2012
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Laura Rubio
IMSD /
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