Following the Bali conference on climate change, China has issued its first ever white paper on energy policy, in which the government pledges to develop renewable energy sources, yet fails to agree to binding limits on greenhouse gas emissions. From AP:
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…
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. [Full text]
The full text of the white paper is here, via China Daily. Read also “China Vows Fair Play in Its Global Search for Oil and Gas” from the Washington Post.
