China’s greenhouse gas emissions rising, undermining Xi’s climate push
Chinese methane emissions are rising at an alarming rate despite recent government regulations aimed at curbing the climate-changing pollutant, a new report has revealed. A study released in the journal Nature on Tuesday shows a steady growth in Chinas methane emissions, primarily from the countrys massive coal mining sector, undermining Beijings claims to be leading the world on climate change action. Methane emissions in China appear to be increasing, business as usual. We were unable to detect any impact of regulations on the countrys methane emissions, the reports lead researcher Scot M. Miller told CNN. China is among the worlds largest emitters of methane. While methane is less prevalent in the earths atmosphere than carbon dioxide, it traps 28 times more heat according to the Global Carbon Project. In 2010 the Chinese government enacted a series of new polices requiring methane from coal mining to be captured, or to be converted into carbon dioxide. But scientists found that the policies had failed to curb overall emissions. Using data from Japanese satellites collected between 2010 and 2010, the study found Chinas annual methane emissions increased by 50% for at least five years after government regulations were passed in 2010. The jump is equivalent to the total emissions of other large nations such as Russia and Brazil. China has had great ambitions for capturing that methane and using it for electricity production or heating buildings, but what we found is that theres little evidence that theyve been able to meet those ambitions, Miller told CNN. China is the worlds largest producer and consumer of coal. The countrys continued reliance on the fossil fuel has come under increased scrutiny in recent years. President Xi Jinping has placed a huge emphasis on tackling pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in his second term in office, making it one of his three battles in 2017. State-run media has been making a big show of broadcasting punishments against officials caught violating environmental laws, with 32 people detained in November after inspections of ten provinces. In fact, following US President Donald Trumps decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Change agreement in 2017, questions were raised over whether Beijing was now the leading nation on tackling climate change. Asked about Chinas climate change commitments in November, Xie Zhenhua, Chinas climate change special envoy, said it was the countrys responsibility to deliver on their promises to protect humanity and the earth. By the end of 2017, Chinas carbon intensity had already fallen by 46%, meaning that it has achieved its goal three years ahead of schedule. Renewable energy already accounts for 13.8% of primary energy consumption and will surely meet the goal of 15% by 2020, Xie said. Miller conceded that his research only extended to 2015, meaning that stricter regulations enforced by Xi may yet to be reflected in the data. In terms of methane, Chinas emissions are so much larger than any other country that anything they could do to mitigate their emissions could have a substantial impact on overall methane levels in the atmosphere, he said.