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UNEP chief appreciates China's efforts in addressing climate change (2) |
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15:52, August 02, 2007 |
CHINA''S EFFORTS
In the recent years, China has reformed its industrial structure to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. According to statistics, China has saved about 800 million tons of coal between 1991 and 2005, equivalent to reducing the emission of 1.8 billion tons of carbon dioxide.
The proportion of coal in China''s primary energy consumption fell to 69.1 percent in 2005 from 76.2 percent in 1990. Renewable energy accounted for 7.5 percent of China''s total energy consumption in 2005, equivalent to reducing the emission of 380 million tons of carbon dioxide.
China has also stepped up its afforestation efforts, which is also helping to reduce carbon emissions.
It is estimated that between 1980 and 2005, a total of some 3. 06 billion tons of carbon dioxide was absorbed as a result of afforestation in China. Another 1.62 billion tons of carbon dioxide was absorbed thanks to forest management, and the emission of 430 million tons of carbon dioxide was prevented due to a reduction in deforestation.
In response to some reports that say China may become in one or two years the largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world, just after the United States, Steiner said "That is one statistic to look at, the other statistic is the per capita emission of carbon dioxide emission."
"Then China is much lower than every country in, for example Europe or North America," he said.
The per capita figure for China and the United States is respectively four tons and 24 tons, according to a UN statistics quoted by the Reuters.
Steiner also praised in the interview the efforts to tackle climate change by Europe and some states in the United States, calling for cooperation instead of competition among all nations in addressing this issue.
"The EU has committed itself to a 20 to 30 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, so this is a major commitment with significant economic implications for Europe," he said.
Steiner said that at the Federal Level, the United States "is still reluctant to make significant commitments" but adding that " a state like California is actually putting self-imposed limits on its emissions of carbon dioxide higher than the European one and let us not forget that California is the sixth largest economy in the world by GDP."
"When you look at California, Florida and other states and industries, you realize that the United States is also moving and in some case starting to move very fast," he said.
Source: Xinhua
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