Energy News  
ENERGY NEWS
China's unofficial emissions target

China minister eyes date for peak carbon emissions: report
London (AFP) Dec 7, 2009 - China's greenhouse gas emissions will peak between 2030 and 2040, the country's science and technology minister said Monday, as crunch talks on climate change were set to get under way in Copenhagen. Wan Gang said the precise timing of the level would depend on China's economic growth, rate of urbanisation and level of scientific development. "There are some uncertainties here, so it is difficult to say whether it will be in the beginning, the end or the middle, but I can say for sure it will be within that range (of 2030-2040)," he told the Guardian newspaper. China, the world's largest carbon gas polluter, has promised to make gains in energy efficiency, but has yet to announce a peak date for emissions.

World leaders gather in Copenhagen from Monday for landmark UN talks on tackling global warming beyond 2012. Its task is to craft a global pact that will dramatically reduce man-made carbon dioxide emissions -- invisible gases that trap solar heat and warm the atmosphere, interfering with Earth's delicate climate system. Developing nations, including China, insist that developed nations should bear most of the cost of tackling climate change. Wan said the priority at Copenhagen would be to establish a framework for transferring funds and money, rather than getting hung up on figures. "If we can achieve this goal, that is good enough," he said.

"Copenhagen is very important to all governments and politicians. It's an important turning point, but it is also just the start of human efforts to tackle climate change. It is not the end." Beijing said last month that by 2020 it would curb emissions per unit of gross domestic product by between 40 and 45 percent compared to 2005 levels. The pledge then was not to cut emissions but was essentially a vow of greater energy efficiency that would see China's emissions continue to grow along with its economy.
by Staff Writers
 Copenhagen, Denmark (UPI) Dec 7, 2009
As world leaders gathered for the Monday opening of the U.N. climate-change conference in Copenhagen, a Chinese minister said his country's carbon emissions would peak between 2030 and 2040.

Wan Gang, minister of science and technology, told the Guardian he hoped the maximum output of Chinese greenhouse gases would come as soon as possible within that range.

While Wan's comments to the newspaper are not official policy, it is the nearest China has ventured in setting a target for when emissions will begin to decrease. Various experts, research groups and academics in China have estimated that emissions could peak between 2020 or 2050, although the government has yet to officially announce a target.

Determining a peak date for developing countries, which are experiencing quickly rising emissions, is a crucial issue for some 192 world leaders meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, Dec. 7-18 to agree on a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. Under Kyoto, China was exempt from any requirement to control emissions.

"There are some uncertainties here, so it is difficult to say whether it will be in the beginning, the end or the middle, but I can say for sure it will be within that range," Wan said in predicting the emissions peak occurring between 2030 and 2040. "As the minister of science and technology I would say the sooner the better."

Wan said unpredictable factors such as the pace of China's economic growth, increases in urbanization, and the level of scientific strides would affect the timing of the emissions peak. Attaining the earlier date in the range, he added, would be possible if China continued to invest in renewable energy efficiency, implemented carbon capture technology and promoted changes in consumer behavior.

China, the world's biggest emitter of carbon, will account for approximately 29 percent of total global emissions by 2030, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration,

Beijing announced its first carbon intensity target Nov. 26, saying it would cut carbon emissions per unit of its gross domestic product by between 40 percent and 45 percent by 2020 compared with 2005 levels. Even with this cut, the country's output of carbon dioxide is expected to increase by about 90 percent if the economy grows by 8 percent.

China's Nov. 26 announcement "has assisted in triggering fresh momentum" in the days running up to the Copenhagen talks, Nick Nuttall, spokesman for the office of the U.N. Environment Program executive director, told state news agency Xinhua Saturday. "It underscores China's determination to continue and accelerate the decoupling of CO2 emissions from economic growth," he said.

Nuttall noted that China's announcement, alongside commitments and pledges by other countries or blocs like the European Union, Brazil, Mexico and the Republic of Korea, is bringing the opportunity of a decisive agreement in Copenhagen much closer than perhaps was the case only a few months ago.

Xinhua predicts tough negotiations at the Copenhagen meeting.

Share This Article With Planet Earth
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit
YahooMyWebYahooMyWeb GoogleGoogle FacebookFacebook



Related Links



Memory Foam Mattress Review
SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS
 Solar Energy Solutions
Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ...
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


ENERGY NEWS
US poised to regulate C02 in Copenhagen boost
 Washington (AFP) Dec 7, 2009
 The US government was set Monday to pave the way to regulate carbon dioxide as a dangerous pollutant, sidestepping a divided Congress to boost global climate talks in Copenhagen. A US official said on condition of anonymity that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would declare that it can impose rules to reduce carbon emissions, even if Congress does not approve legislation to do so. ... read more






The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2009 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement