The Hindu Business Line : Alarming rise in pollution by Asian giants: Study

Mumbai, Aug. 9 China accounted for a staggering 57 per cent of the growth in carbon emissions from fossil fuel combustion worldwide that, between 2000 and 2007, increased 22 per cent to an estimated 8.2 billion tonnes, according to research by the Washington-based think-tank Worldwatch Institute.

During the period, India’s contribution was eight per cent and the US and Europe contributed four per cent and three per cent, respectively. Despite the dramatic rise in China’s fossil fuel emissions, the US is still the leading emitter of carbon dioxide (CO{-2}) from fossil fuels.

The Americans still outpace the Chinese more than 4 to 1 in terms of per capita emissions, the Institute revealed adding American outpace Indians more than 13 to 1, and Africans 18 to 1.

A significant part of China’s energy needs are met by thermal power.

Coal-dependent development of China is today the major driver of global CO{-2} emission growth. Coal provides as much as 70 per cent of commercial energy in China and 56 per cent in India.

The combustion of fossil fuels – primarily coal, oil and natural gas – accounts for about 74 per cent of all CO{-2} emissions and for roughly 57 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions globally.

Kyoto Protocol

In December 2009, the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change intend to reach agreement on a new climate change protocol to limit carbon emissions, building on the Kyoto Protocol originally signed in 1997.

A lot of uncertainty surrounds the new agreement.

Suggesting that regulation of emissions from China and other growing economies would be a contentious issue, the research organisation has recommended an active partnership between industrial and developing countries in order to stabilise the climate.

Growth vs Environment

The positive correlation between economic growth and pollution is well known.

The state of manufacturing technologies is such that growth objectives cannot be achieved without polluting emissions. For emerging economies such as China and India the dilemma is growth versus environment.

Without growth, it is going to be nearly impossible to fight poverty; and a large number of the world’s poor people live in Asia.

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