Jennifer Turner, director of the China Environment Forum at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, told Circle of Blue that there is no silver bullet to the superpower's energy consumption and emissions, despite the ambitions to meet energy consumption and emission goals,
Jennifer Turner, director of the China Environment Forum at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, told Circle of Blue that there is no silver bullet to the superpower's energy consumption and emissions, despite the ambitions to meet energy consumption and emission goals,
"China's energy needs are mind boggling," Turner said.
Even with the advancements in green technology and increase in hydropower usage, coal will still make up about 50 percent of its energy portfolio, according to Turner.
While the country achieved a 14.4 percent reduction in energy intensity by the end of 2009, levels increased by 3.2 percent in the first quarter of 2010. It also witnessed a 24 percent increase in sales of coal-fired electricity and oil compared to the first quarter of 2009, due in part to a 22 percent increase in China's fuel-intensive industry output, the New York Times reported. In addition to the increase in consumption of fossil fuel, the non-fossil fuel ratio decreased by about one percent in 2009.
Please click for the full article on Blue of Circle Web site.
China鈥檚 global footprint isn鈥檛 just an economic one, it鈥檚 an environmental one. From BRI investments in Africa and Asia to its growing presence in Latin America, understanding China鈥檚 motivations, who stands to gain - and who stands to lose - is critical to informing smart US foreign policy. Read more
