If developed nations need to reduce CO2 by 70%, and China emits at 20% of developed nation rates now...?

Question

Shouldn't China commit to holding at something close to current levels?

How will they get back down to reasonable levels if they build the 300 coal power plants currently being planned and put millions more cars on the road? Will their residents suddenly be wealthy enough to implement the expensive measures that developed countries aer going to have to take?

Answer 1

It's a tricky situation because China wants to benefit from cheap fossil fuel energy the way developed countries like the US already have.

However, China is also aware of the threat of global warming.  I suspect that if the US were to start taking serious steps to reduce our GHG emissions, China would soon beging to follow suit.  Until we start to take action though, they can use the 'if the US hasn't reduced their emissions, why should we reduce ours?' argument, and rightfully so.

Answer 2

If Western countries stopped buying Chinese goods, the CO2 emissions in China would plummet.  The West needs to rebuild its industrial capacity and could do so with cleaner technologies.  It's time to buy local and invest local.

Answer 3

China has 4.5 times the number of people that are in the U.S. and has only 80% of our GDP, to expect them not to modernize and advance their people isn't going to fly well with them.  The people in the U.S. have over five times what their people have.  I'm sure China thinks the U.S. should give up 80% of everything it has instead to make things more balanced, lol.