China may surpass U.S. in carbon dioxide emissions by 2009
China may surpass U.S. in carbon dioxide emissions by 2009
mongabay.com
November 7, 2006
China’s output of carbon dioxide, a gas linked to global warming, may surpass that of the United States by 2009, about a decade earlier than previous estimates according to a report released Tuesday by the International Energy Agency.
China currently ranks second behind the United States in carbon dioxide emissions, but rapid economic growth, fueled heavily by coal, is spurring a dramatic rise in greenhouse gas pollution. China’s emissions growth is one of the big reasons why the United States and Australia have refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol which calls for emissions limits for industrialized countries but none for developing economies including China, India, and Brazil.
The new International Energy Agency report says that global energy demand is projected to grow 53 percent by 2030, with demand for coal jumping 59 percent. Overall carbon dioxide emissions are expected to climb 55 percent to 44.1 billion tons in 2030.
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