A new report says that China is using up natural resources at twice the rate they can be renewed in the country’s bid for development. From The Age:
China now utilises 15% of the world’s total biological capacity, says the report, published jointly by Swiss-based WWF (formerly the World Wildlife Fund) and the China Council for International Co-operation on Environment and Development. China’s industrialisation is also making increasing demands on the world’s oil supply.
The 1.2 billion Chinese, a fifth of the world’s population, had an average ecological footprint of 1.6 hectares in 2003, the most recent year for which figures are available. This means each person needs 1.6 hectares of biologically productive land to support their lifestyle demands.
While still lower than the world average of 2.2 hectares per person, it “nonetheless presents challenges, considering China’s large population and the robust economic development”, the report says.
