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China will not allow its carbon dioxide emissions per person to reach levels seen in the US, according to the minister in charge of climate policy.

Chinese per-capita emissions may reach US levels by 2017, a recent study said.

But because its population is so much bigger, its per-capita emissions are currently much lower – but rising fast.

An analysis released last month by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) put China’s annual emissions at 6.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide per person, compared to the US figure of 16.9 tonnes – although other analyses put the US figure higher, around 20 tonnes.

Read full article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15444858

Beijing announces it will cut rate of carbon output growth by 40 per cent

By Clifford Coonan in Beijing

China has galvanised the run-up to the climate change talks in Copenhagen by announcing an ambitious target to reduce its carbon footprint. It is the first time the world’s biggest producer of greenhouse gases has committed itself to a reduction, and comes one day after the US announced its own target.

Taken together, these signals of intent by the world’s two biggest producers give a powerful boost to the prospects for the talks. China said it will cut emissions of carbon relative to economic growth by 40 to 45 per cent by 2020 compared with 2005 levels.

Because its economy is still growing fast, this means that in absolute terms China’s emissions will continue to rise fast for at least a decade. But for the first time China has agreed to slow the pace of growth of emissions.

Read more via China sets ambitious target on emissions – Asia, World – The Independent.