One-Third of China’s EmissionsTied to Producing Export Goods, Study Says

Roughly a third of the carbon dioxide emissions produced by China come from manufacturing goods for export, according to a new study. The study, to be published soon in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, says that 9 percent of China’s CO2 emissions are attributable to making goods for export to the U.S., 6 percent for exporting goods to Europe, and roughly 15 percent for exports to other nations around the world. The study, conducted by researchers at Oslo’s Center for International Climate and Environmental Research, said that fully half of the recent growth in Chinese carbon dioxide emissions is linked to manufacturing products for export. Such findings about China’s so-called “offshored emissions” could play an important role in this year’s climate talks in Copenhagen, as China and other developed countries are expected to argue that these export-related emissions should be considered in any future treaties on limiting greenhouse gases. Last year, China surpassed the U.S. as the world’s leading emitter of CO2.