By Jeff Logan According to the latest International Energy
Agency forecast (IEA), China may become the world’s biggest GHG
emitter as early as 2009. Although it will be a long time before
cumulative Chinese emissions surpass those of the U.S., it will
be interesting to note the potential change in international
political dynamics after China becomes the world’s largest
annual emitter. China knows its emissions are a serious problem;
high-ranking officials in China’s energy ministries have said as
much. But its concern has yet to change its energy policy to the
degree required, and China has been tepid on emissions reduction
commitments in international forums. At the same time, China
added about 92 gigawatts of new coal-fired power plants in 2006
alone, more than the entire fleet of generating plants in the
United Kingdom. New plants in 2006 alone will add 500 millions
tons of carbon dioxide (MtCO2) to China’s annual emissions. For
perspective, that’s about 13% of China’s current coal-fired
emissions, and 5%