China promises more clean energy
spending but warns coal use will climb
Dec 26, 2007 - Joe McDonald - The Associated
China promised Wednesday to develop renewable energy
for its fast-growing economy but warned that coal
consumption will grow dramatically and avoided embracing
binding limits on its greenhouse gas emissions.
In a report on its energy plans, the government
announced no new initiatives but said it wants to
curb reliance on oil and gas to drive an economy
that is the world's second-biggest energy consumer
after the United States.
"China gives top priority to developing renewable
energy," said the 44-page report released by the
Cabinet's press office.
The report said Beijing will promote hydroelectric,
nuclear, solar and wind energy, as well natural
gas extracted from garbage dumps and coal mines.
China's economic boom has sharply increased its
need for imported oil and gas. That has prompted
complaints that Chinese demand is driving record-high
world crude prices and led to diplomatic strains
as Beijing builds closer ties with oil-rich pariah
states such as Sudan and Iran.
Communist leaders worry about the mounting damage
to China's battered environment from fossil fuel
use and see mounting reliance on imported energy
as a strategic weakness.
The share of renewable sources and nuclear power
in China's energy consumption rose from 4 percent
in 1980 to 7.2 percent last year, the report said.
"China will pay more attention to the clean utilization
of energy resources, especially coal, and make it
a focus of environmental protection," the report
It said China takes greenhouse gases seriously
and some of its measures would reduce its emissions.
But there was no mention of whether Beijing might
agree to demands by Washington to sign up to binding
Beijing has rejected such limits, arguing that
developing countries such as China are not to blame
for current pollution levels and need to increase
energy production to fight poverty.
The report said China will expand measures to exploit
its abundant coal reserves - a step that will help
to reduce reliance on imported fuel but could sharply
raise greenhouse gas outputs.
"China will step up its efforts in prospecting
coal resources," the report said. It said Beijing
would reorganize its coal industry by closing smaller,
less efficient mines while creating conglomerates
with bigger production capacity.