China’s environment minister issued a strongly worded warning on Monday, stating that the country faces dire environmental problems and resource strains that could threaten economic growth if not addressed properly, AFP reported. Zhou Shengxian, the Minister of Environment Protection, also said that social stability – a big concern of the government – was at risk because of recurring pollution-related public health scares. He said authorities plan to set up an “air pollution and climate change risk assessment system” and may factor global warming risks into how they assess new developments like factories. In November, China admitted it is the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter. While the government has invested billions of dollars in environmental clean-up efforts, it has repeatedly refused to cap or cut emissions.
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