Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
35 000.0
30 000.0
25 000.0
20 000.0
China
World
15 000.0
10 000.0
5 000.0
-
Figure 6.4
. CO
2
Emissions Trends in China and Globally
Source
: IEA (2012).
CO
2
emissions. Consequently, China has been criticized internationally for a
perceived indiferent approach to climate change mitigation. As former US
Secretary of State Colin Powell quipped in 2009, “You know what the irst
thing is that Hu Jintao doesn't think about when he wakes up every morn-
ing? Climate change.”
3
Yet such criticism ignores notable developments in China's electricity
generation sector, which paint a picture of a nation that is far from indifer-
ent to stemming GHG emissions. Expansion of alternative energy genera-
tion capacity has been nothing short of remarkable in terms of pace, scale,
and scope of development.
As Figure 6.5 illustrates, wind power in China has lourished. China
is now the world's largest wind power market, as measured in installed
capacity and annual growth. According to the Global Wind Energy Council,
80000
70000
60000
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
0
Figure 6.5
. Wind Power Expansion in China
Source
: Global Wind Energy Council (2013).
