China’s Science and Technology Minister, Wan Gang, in an exclusive interview said the nation’s carbon emissions levels will peak between 2030 and 2040, the Guardian reported. This range is a reduction from previous estimates that put the peak somewhere between 2020 and 2050. Establishing a peak date for China and other developing nations is a key issue for the negotiators at the Copehnhagen climate summit as they try to develop a policy that will keep the increase in the world’s temperature to 2C or below; scientists maintain anything higher will have dangerous consequences for the earth’s environment. Wan’s statement is not considered official policy and the actual date of the peak will depend on uncertain factors such as the pace of China’s economic growth, rate of urbanisation and level of scientific development as well as investment in renewable energy, improved energy efficiency, commercialization of carbon capture technology and changes in consumer behavior.
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