China publishes greenhouse gas emissions

On Tuesday China reported its emissions of greenhouse gases to the United Nations for the first time. In 1994, the country emitted 2.6 billion tonnes of CO2 alone. Only figures from 1990 or 1994 were available in the official Chinese report. According to Terra Daily, China said it emitted 2.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide, 34.29 million tonnes of methane and 850,000 tonnes of nitrous oxide. These emissions levels are expected to increase rapidly, however, as the economy and energy consumption in China is growing quickly, as is the size of the population.

"Greenhouse gas emissions by China will definitely be much higher in the future," said Gao Feng, deputy director-general of the foreign ministry’s department of treaty and law. "With population increase, per capita energy consumption will be higher." The population is projected to increase by 300 million people by 2043, according to Terra Daily. China does not have any emissions reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol, but is among the developing countries that are likely to be put under heavy pressure to take on obligations post-2012.