Summary:
A Carnegie Mellon study finds that one third of China's carbon dioxide emissions are a direct result of the manufacture of goods destined primarily for developed countries. These "export goods emissions" account for 6% of the global emissions. International policy at the moment tends to penalise the country which produces goods rather than the one that consumes them. China has a point arguing that the US and Europe should bear the burden of responsibility for the emissions as they demand and consume the products. How to fairly apportion the liability for China's exported emissions is the million-dollar question. (Published: 29/07/08)
Notes:
- scale of China's emissions
- hot topic since it was forecast that they could surpass US emissions as the world's leader in 2007
- may have already happened
- Carnegie Mellon study:
- 2005: one-third of China's carbon dioxide emissions are pumped into the atmosphere in order to manufacture exported goods
- many of them "advanced" electronics goods destined for developed countries
- i.e. developed countries import many of the products that contribute to China's greenhouse gas emissions
- "export goods emissions" account for 1.7 billion tonnes of China's carbon dioxide
- represents 6% of total global emissions
- equivalent of Germany, France and the UK's combined emissions
- compare 1987: exports accounted for just 230 million tonnes
- 12% of China's total emissions
- China very aware that much of its carbon footprint is export emissions
- has used this as an argument against adopting Kyoto-Protocol-like emissions caps
- argues that other major emitters, including the US and Europe, should bear the burden of responsibility for the emissions as they demand and consume the products
- International policy at the moment tends to penalise the country which produces goods rather than the one that consumes them
- How to fairly apportion the liability for China's exported emissions "is the million-dollar question"
- Benito Müller of the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, UK
- "It's just like narcotics," says Müller. "Who is responsible, the drug baron or the junkies?
