China leads the world in renewable energy production and is catching up with developed countries in manufacturing clean energy technology, says a report by The Climate Group, an international nonprofit organization. China has 152 gigawatts of installed renewable energy generation, the most worldwide, the report says, and manufactured a second-ranked 820 gigawatts of solar photovoltaic capacity in 2007. Car fuel-efficiency standards are 40 percent higher than in the U.S. And China’s investment in renewable energy, as a percentage of GDP, is approaching that of world-leading Germany. “For too long, many governments, businesses, and individuals have been wary of committing to action on climate change because they perceive that China — the world’s largest emitter — is doing little to address the issue,” said the Climate Group’s executive director. This report, he hopes, will help change that attitude.
Renewable Revolution in China
More From E360
-
Solutions
A.I. Is Quietly Powering a Revolution in Weather Prediction
-
RIVERS
On a Dammed River, Amazon Villagers Fight to Restore the Flow
-
Biodiversity
With the Great Mussel Die-Off, Scientists Scramble for Answers
-
ANALYSIS
Recycling Nuclear Waste: A Win-Win or a Dangerous Gamble?
-
CONFLICT
In War-Torn Sudan, a Gold Mining Boom Takes a Human Toll
-
Opinion
With NOAA Cuts, a Proud Legacy and Vital Science Are at Risk
-
Biodiversity
Imperiled in the Wild, Many Plants May Survive Only in Gardens
-
Climate
Can Toxic Mining Waste Help Remove CO2 from the Atmosphere?
-
INTERVIEW
Saving U.S. Climate and Environmental Data Before It Goes Away
-
Biodiversity
A Craze for Tiny Plants Is Driving a Poaching Crisis in South Africa
-
INTERVIEW
Bill McKibben on Climate Activism in the Age of Trump 2.0
-
Climate
How Climate Change Puts the Safety of Drinking Water at Risk