Reuters AlertNet Lite - FACTBOX-Key facts about China and climate change

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FACTBOX-Key facts about China and climate change

05 Feb 2007 08:31:40 GMT
Source: Reuters

Feb 5 (Reuters) - China could overtake the United States by 2009 as the world's largest emitter of the greenhouse gases adding to global climate change as its rapid economic development continues.

Here are some key facts about climate change and China:

PER CAPITA EMISSIONS ARE LOW:

- Per capita, China's energy-related emissions are very low.

- Each citizen was responsible for emitting around 2.72 tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2003.

- This compares to 19.95 tonnes per capita for the U.S., and 9.53 tonnes in Britain, the IAEA says.

BUT TOTAL EMISSIONS ARE HIGH:

- China's massive population means its cumulative emissions are higher than for smaller countries with higher per capita emissions.

- It's rising oil consumption and dependency on polluting coal for around two thirds of its energy have driven up its tally; as carbon dioxide is released as a byproduct of burning fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal.

INTERNATIONALLY:

- China ratified the Kyoto Protocol in 2002.

- As a developing country it is excluded from the current round of emission cuts, but this may change as the next round of Kyoto cuts are negotiated.

- China also joined the Asia-Pacific Partnership for Clean Development and Climate in July 2005. The informal alliance, made up of the United States, Australia, India, South Korea, Japan and China, aims to use technology, rather than binding limits, to reduce emissions.

NATIONALLY:

- China has been talking about setting up a national climate change strategy for several years.

- It's first national climate report, announced in the Chinese media in January, warns that climate change will raise the average temperatures in the country by two or three degrees Celsius in the next 50 to 80 years.

- The changes could lead to big drops in agricultural output and intensify natural disasters, Xinhua said.

ACTION TO DATE:

- In 2004 China passed a law calling for 10 percent of energy to come from renewable sources by 2010.

Sources: The International Atomic Energy Agency (www.iaea.org/inis/aws/eedrb/index.html)

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Last updated:Mon Feb 5 08:32:51 2007