Is China greening?

 From ZME Science

China is the world's biggest nation by population and the greatest carbon emitter by far, being responsible for roughly 28% of global carbon emissions in 2019. The United States, the second-largest carbon-emitting nation, stood at 11%. 

This is not news so far. For many years China has held this title due to its large population and heavy reliance on coal, which continues to this day despite hundreds of billions worth of investments in renewable energy infrastructure projects. 

Although China is by far the no. 1 carbon emitter worldwide, the Chinese government has always argued that they are a developing country that has to catch up to the west. Besides, on a per capita basis, China doesn't emit that much. Or does it? 

According to a new report, China emitted more greenhouse gas than the entire developed world combined in 2019. Furthermore, per capita, China is emitting more than countries like France, the UK, or Spain.

As China grows its emissions, which are forecasted to rise until at least 2030, its per capita emissions will also grow relatively to the developed world, where the trend is to decarbonize. 

Although China currently emits the highest levels of CO2 annually, it has emitted far less than the United States over the past three centuries. Cumulative carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. reached 367 billion metric tons by 2018. All this CO2 comes with consequences. Another report released this week, this time from NOAA, concluded the US has warmed 1.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1 degree Celsius) since 1901-1930. 

It is also true that China is the world's largest investor in wind and solar.  Note in the chart below how rapidly UK per capita emissions are falling, and how China's emissions may also have peaked.  We need to halve emissions by 2030, and China will have to be part of that, or we will fail.

Source: ZME Science.