In a recent report prepared by its National Bureau of Statistics, China has acknowledged that its consumption of fossil fuels rose by 9.3 per cent in 2006 over the previous year.

The report comes soon after another study by the International Energy Agency (a Paris-based alliance of oil-importing nations) that has put the total carbon dioxide emission by China at 3.3 billion tonnes and says the country is likely to cross the us greenhouse gas emissions by 2009. China's emission, 42 per cent of us gas emissions in 2001, rose to 97 per cent of the us figure by 2006. "By 2030, China will emit 39 per cent of the total global carbon dioxide emission, largely due to its reliance on coal-fired power plants for energy,' notes the report. At present, China emits 14.5 per cent of the world's carbon dioxide, with per capita emission a little above two tonnes.

Meanwhile, China has started working on its first plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Though reports suggest that the plan will not include quantitative reduction targets, China has announced plans to increase its expenditure on wind power and improve energy efficiency in existing buildings.