The Math On Chinese Emissions
Derek Scissors /
Chinese President Hu Jintao captured headlines yesterday, promising the PRC would “endeavor to cut carbon-dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by a notable margin by 2020.” Reviews have ranged from an important step toward emissions caps to vague and disappointing.
For those serious about climate change, China is the whole ballgame. If 2000-2006 trends in Chinese and American emissions held in 2007, then the PRC’s emissions were nearly 15% larger than America’s and pulling away fast.
The financial crisis altered everyone’s carbon trajectory but lending-induced resilience in China’s heavy industries means their emissions kept rising. Looking ahead, nearly two-thirds of the global emission increase by 2020 could be due to the PRC.