The contribution of Chinese exports to climate change
A new study by Chris Weber et al. estimates that up to a third of China's CO2 emissions are embodied in exports. The emissions calculations include both combustion of fuels and industrial processes in the supply chain to produce Chinese exports. 27% of China's export emissions are attributed to the U.S., 19% to the EU-27, 14% to the remaining Annex B countries, and 40% to the non-annex B developing world. Improvements to China's inefficient and coal-based electricity system would be good for everybody.
The report analyzing the changes in Chinese emissions more broadly from 1992 to 2002 can be found at Energy Policy, available online 21 July2008, doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2008.06.009.