China, the world’s second-largest oil consumer, may boost its long-term commitment to renewable energy use by 50 percent, a top policy maker said on Monday.
Beijing currently aims to get one-tenth of its energy from renewable sources by 2020, and this year passed a law forcing power suppliers to buy more electricity from plants that do not burn fossil fuels.
But with imports rocketing and the environmental toll of dirty coal climbing — Premier Wen Jiabao said on Monday it met 75 percent of the country’s energy needs — officials are eyeing an even more ambitious programme.
See also “EU to help China tackle greenhouse gas emissions” from Reuters.
