Sustainability and policy - Climate Change: Biological and Human Aspects - page 496

2500

2000

1500

1000

Total energy consumed
Fossil fuel consumed
Fossil fuel produced

500

0

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Year

Fig. 8.6 China'sfossilcarbondomesticproductionandconsumptiontrends.

and this rose to 26% (which itself had increased) in 2010 (BP Economics Unit, 2005,
2011).
China's fossil fuel consumption, its fossil fuel deficit (domestic production less
consumption) and total energy consumption (fossil and non-fossil consumption) have
steadily increased over the past quarter of a century, with an exception around the
turn of the millennium when its coal production and domestic consumption declined.
This dip was in part caused by a decrease in coal supply and also a move towards
increased electrification combined with the transference of electricity regulation from
the former State Power Corporation. This rise in energy consumption has fuelled its
economy, and its GDP quadrupled between 1978 and 2004 and has continued to rise
since. Its major energy-intensive industries include iron and steel making, aluminium
refining, cement manufacture and coal mining.
As can be seen from Figure 8.6, China has gone from being a marginal exporter
of fossil fuel prior to the early 1990s to a marginal (currently slowly increasing)
fossil fuel importer. It does produce (hence consume) a small amount of non-fossil
energy. This carbon and energy picture over the past 30 years is shown in Figure 8.6.
The small amount of non-fossil energy can be seen in the difference between the total
energy consumed and the total fossil fuel consumed, and this non-fossil contribution
has been up to now clearly a minority energy resource. Both China's growing energy
demand, and its small but increasing fossil deficit, have caused increasing govern-
mental unease that has been detected internationally. This last is not a trivial point as
China had very secretive governments in the latter half of the 20th century. However,
China's recent opening up of its economy internationally has revealed particular gov-
ernmental concern over the nation's growing dependence on imported fossil carbon
(largely in the form of oil) and it is known that China is seeking to improve its energy
security.