China’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions May Double by 2020, Report Warns

China’s greenhouse gas emissions could more than double in two decades and could dwarf those of any other nation, including the United States, according to a new report from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a state-run think tank. The “China Energy Report,” produced by researchers at the academy, warns that the nation’s carbon dioxide emissions could reach 2.5 billion metric tons of carbon by 2020. Although China has not estimated its current CO2 emissions, the U.S. Department of Energy has reported that China emitted about 1.4 billion tons in 2004 and has already surpassed the United States in annual emissions. The total world output in 2007 was about 8.5 billion tons. The Chinese researchers warn against repeating the “unconstrained emissions” of developed countries in the past. “We must soon prepare and plan ahead to implement emissions reduction concepts and measures in a long-term and stable energy development strategy,” the report stated.