China releases greenhouse gas figures

For the first time, China publicly released figures on its emissions of greenhouse gases although the figures themselves are 10 years old. As a signatory to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, China is obliged to submit a report detailing its gas emissions between 1990 and 1994 to facilitate initial comparisons between countries. In 1994, for example, China says it emitted 2.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide, 34.29 million tons of methane and 850,000 tons of nitrous oxide making it the second biggest polluter as a country (although not per capita) after the United States. Commenting on the report, the UN resident coordinator said that while the numbers per capita were still relatively low, they were growing rapidly as China's economy and industrial base expanded.