Li Shuo writes in The Guardian about the truth behind China’s clean energy revolution.
- China’s investment in renewable power and electric vehicles is more of an economic play than an environmental one.
- While it’s true that China is leading the world in renewable energy deployment, the country is consuming more coal than the rest of the developed world combined.
- More than half of all the coal burned in the past decade happened in China and coal combustion is expected to continue at a “reasonable speed” through 2030.
- The United States and its allies can curb China’s environmental impact by developing and deploying clean technologies domestically and abroad, especially in developing nations.
“Scratching through the big numbers, two issues deserve the world’s deeper understanding. The first is that China’s successful clean technology campaign has more to do with its economic strategy than its climate commitments. The second is that, alongside its impressive achievements in renewable energy, China is also one of the world’s biggest polluters. Neither is likely to change imminently.”
Read the full article here.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.
