In terms of environmentalism and environmental policy, most people think of China as the great obstacle; as the largest single contributors to carbon emissions worldwide, as unenthusiastic contributors to climate change debate, China is one of the big problem areas for development of a global climate change policy.

Just as the US have begun something of a u-turn, though, with President Barack Obama introducing strict green policies domestically, and looking to take a leading role at the Copenhagen summit, China seem set to follow suit; the Chinese government has pledged to provide investment for solar energy, so that 6% of China's energy would originate from the renewable energy source.

Currently, China produces more solar photovoltaic panels than any nation in the world, though only 5% remain inside China's borders. The Chinese government will move to install solar photovoltaic capabilities, a project they previously deemed to be too expensive, at a cost of billions of pounds.

The cost of solar photovoltaic technology, though, is decreasing, and China is seizing an opportunity to cut cost in the long-term; they hope that their target of 6% renewable energy in the national grid is motivated partly by economic benefits and partly by environmental commitments.

Whilst the move is a welcoming one, it will not mean that China will cut its carbon emissions drastically enough to remove the unwanted title of largest single contributor to worldwide carbon emissions; it has been suggested that they will rely on carbon-based energy for at least two-thirds of its energy in the next 20 years.

The symbolism of the step, though, will please some environmental thinkers, who can take solace in the fact that China in the US, previously two of the more reluctant nations in environmental policy development, are coming to the table with fresh and supportive ideas. President Obama, in taking measures to reduce carbon emissions through a legislation on the motor industry, has shown that he is willing to be environmental concerns ahead of pressure from big business, and China, whose pollution problems worried athletes so much during the Beijing Olympics last year that some threatened to pull out, are now willing to spend substantial portions of their £400bn economic stimulus budget on renewable energy.

Some early, small steps, indeed, but encouraging all the same

Source: The Guardian

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