China's State Council published a white paper detailing the nation's policies and progress towards reducing greenhouse gases, six days before international climate change talks begin in South Africa.
This report also comes one day after a World Meteorological Organization warning that greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have reached an all-time high, while emissions accelerate.
COP 17 to begin on November 28th, 2011
On November 28th, the 2011 United Nations Conference Change Conference (COP17) will begin in Durban, South Africa.
The 2010 COP 16 conference in Cancun, Mexico resulted in limited new agreements, and commentators note that progress made was far from what scientists say will be necessary to avoid serious impacts of climate change due to global warming.
Reduced energy consumption per unit of GDP
The Chinese white paper outlines steps that the nation has taken in areas as diverse as reforestation, transportation policy, energy policy and international cooperation to meet Copenhagen commitments to reduce carbon emissions 40%-45% below 2005 levels.
The white paper states that China's 2010 energy consumption per unit of GDP decreased 19% from 2005 levels, however the U.K. Guardian notes that there are no new policy announcements in the document.
China installs 168 million square meters of solar collectors
The report notes that China has installed 168 million square meters of solar collectors for water heating, increased solar photovoltaic (PV) capacities, and more than doubled its installed hydropower capacity since 2005.
China holds by far the world's largest solar water heating capacity and market, with 58% of the world's installed capacity and 79% of the world's market for glazed flat-plate and evacuated tube collectors in 2008.
The nation is also on track to dramatically increase PV capacities with the implementation of a national feed-in tariff in July 2011.
On November 7th, 2011 Solarbuzz Inc. (San Francisco, California, U.S.) predicted that the Chinese PV market will reach 1.8 GW in 2011, and third quarter 2011 results from a number of Chinese PV manufacturers show dramatic increases in PV module sales into the Chinese domestic market.
