Chinese coal demand to boost CO2 emissions 50% by 2030

Rising Chinese demand for coal will push worldwide carbon dioxide emissions up more than 50% between 2005 and 2030, Reuters reported. The forecast, by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), said global carbon emissions will reach 42 billion tons by 2030. China’s annual carbon emissions are expected to reach 12 billion tons by 2030, compared to 5.3 billion tons in 2005. The EIA raised its new 2030 forecast for China by 6.8% over its outlook released last year. The EIA expects China’s coal demand to increase by 3.2% annually. Some analysts challenged the predictions, noting that China has already begun emphasizing the development of less emissions-intensive industries.