INTRODUCTION
China’s economic growth during the last couple of decades has been impressive. Around the turn of the millennium, China’s energy situation changed drastically. Before 2000, about 96% of China’s energy demand was met domestically. Since 2001, however, this position of near self-reliance has changed. With steadily increasing energy demand, China’s need for foreign energy has grown. Today, China is the world’s biggest energy consumer and emitter of greenhouse gases.
This book summarizes China’s energy and environmental policies with special reference to the 2011–2015 Twelfth Five-Year Plan (FYP). By reviewing and investigating China’s recent efforts and to resolve the misunderstandings by addressing the key criticisms of its energy policies, this book presents both the domestic approaches and the international agreements in which China participates.
This comprehensive overview of the current state of China’s energy situation will serve as a foundation for future analysis.