China: Our Carbon Emissions Will Peak "As Early As Possible" . . . Uh, OK . . .

[hatrack]

UNITED NATIONS — China, the world's biggest emitter of the planet-warming gas carbon dioxide, pledged on Tuesday to slow the rise of its emissions and reach a peak "as soon as possible."

Speaking at the U.N. Climate Summit in New York, Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli gave hints of both progress and pitfalls ahead. The summit, at more than 120 officials above the level of foreign minister, is the largest gathering of heads of state ever assembled on this topic. (International talks on climate change are kicking into high gear in the lead- to a pivotal conference in Paris next year.)

On the one hand, as far as environmentalists and the Obama administration are concerned, the mere mention of a peak in China's carbon dioxide emissions was new and ambitious, considering how quickly the Chinese economy has grown in recent years and how fast emissions have risen as well. During the past decade, for example, China saw about 10% per year increases in carbon dioxide emissions, although that slowed in 2013, according to a report from the European Commission.

China has a goal to reduce its carbon intensity, which is a way of measuring the carbon emissions per unit of gross domestic product, by up to 45% by 2020. Zhang said that China will reveal its goals for reducing emissions post-2020 during the first quarter of 2015, as the United States also intends to do.

EDIT

http://mashable.com/2014/09/23/china-carbon-emissions-climate-summit/

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

1. Well, haven't they been installing new solar and nuclear like mad?

I can see that, if they're planning to tip over away from using coal as soon as possible.

[GliderGuider]

3. I rather think they're planning on ADDING those to their coal consumption

Up to the limits of their economic requirement for energy, at any rate. If their need for energy begins to decline (i.e. their economy begins to decay), then they'll start making decisions about which sources to decommission. It won't necessarily be coal that gets the axe in all cases though, even in a long downturn.

[GliderGuider]

2. Well, at least there's one thing that won't be happening "Faster Than Expected..." nt

[pscot]

4. They appear to be using us as a gauge

Last edited Fri Sep 26, 2014, 10:02 AM - Edit history (1)

for the appropriate level of response.

[GliderGuider]

5. It's like an Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma in game theory.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner's_dilemma#The_iterated_prisoners.27_dilemma