China to Meet Carbon Goals as Total Emissions Rise, Report Says
China is meeting a pledge to lower its greenhouse-gas emissions relative to its economic growth even as total pollution rises faster than forecast, according to a report from climate researchers.
The world’s largest greenhouse-gas emitter is reducing the the amount of carbon dioxide generated per unit of economic growth, according to a report today from Utrecht, Netherlands- based Ecofys, a renewable energy consultant. China, the world’s third-largest economy, pledged last year to lower its so-called carbon intensity 40 percent to 45 percent by 2020 from 2005 levels.
Faster-than-forecast economic expansion in China will push total emissions by 2020 higher than estimated, according to the report, prepared in coordination with the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and Climate Analytics, a research group hosted by the institute. China’s President Hu Jintao first offered to link his country’s greenhouse-gas emissions to economic growth in a 2010 speech to the United Nations.
“The overall picture shows us that a higher than expected economic growth rate brings with it higher emissions,” Bill Hare, a senior scientist with Climate Analytics, said in a statement. “The sooner the switch is made to cleaner energy sources, the better.”
The report was released today at UN climate talks in Panama City where negotiators from almost 200 countries are discussing a global treaty to limit greenhouse gases, which scientists link to climate change. The meeting, which continues until Oct. 7, is the last formal negotiating session before the annual UN climate conference, being held this year in Durban.
China, U.S.
China offered the pledge to lower its greenhouse-gas intensity at talks last year in Cancun, Mexico. While the U.S. offered to cut emissions 17 percent from 2005 levels, President Barack Obama has experienced “difficulties” in advancing policies to contribute to the goal, according to the report.
If the U.S. fails to advance policies to lower emissions before 2015, larger and most costly annual reductions will be needed to meet the target, according to the report.
“Higher annual reduction rates are more expensive to achieve,” according to the report. “The technical feasibility of actually achieving reductions decreases with higher reduction rates, and the costs tend to increase rapidly.”
To contact the reporter on this story: Jim Efstathiou Jr. in Panama City at jefstathiou@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Larry Liebert at lliebert@bloomberg.net
Rate this Page