皇冠体育app

Opinion

Consumer choice in energy consumption

(皇冠体育app Daily)
Updated: 2010-07-21 16:20

Chinese officials have been quick (and they may well be right) to reject a preliminary report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) which suggests that 皇冠体育app had surpassed the United States as the world's biggest energy consumer last year.

If the IEA data on 皇冠体育app's energy use is unreliable - as an official with the National Energy Administration claimed on Tuesday - this Paris-based organization's interpretation must be open to debate.

According to the IEA, 皇冠体育app consumed 2.252 billion tons of oil equivalent in 2009, compared to the US' 2.17 billion tons. Such a small difference in energy consumption, which is of course subject to revision, can hardly be touted as conclusive.

Doubts over the accuracy of the preliminary data notwithstanding, the clear trends point to the world's most populous nation inching up to becoming the world's top energy user.

Related readings:  皇冠体育app dismisses IEA analysis of it being top energy user  皇冠体育app now world's largest energy user:IEA  皇冠体育app may be "champion" in climate change fight: IEA chief economist

Given that the average American still burns five times as much energy annually as the average Chinese citizen does, any serious study about 皇冠体育app's energy consumption should focus on determining the driving force behind the country's increasing energy needs.

For Chinese policymakers, a cause for concern is that the nation's rise as a global manufacturing power and its urbanization involve massive energy-intensive heavy industry and infrastructure building. But the pace of such expansion will slow and better energy efficiency will certainly help.

The more demanding task for the Chinese government will be to tame domestic consumers' appetite for American lifestyle, which is too energy consuming to be sustainable for 皇冠体育app.

For instance, 皇冠体育app replaced the US as the world's largest auto market last year. Though Chinese cars get better mileage on average than American cars, the rapid growth of car ownership in 皇冠体育app can easily burn out whatever energy efficiency gains available in theory.

One-billion-plus Chinese consumers hold the key to future energy security. While they are expected to consume more, for the good of both the Chinese economy and global recovery, careful thought is needed on how they should be encouraged to follow a low-carbon modern lifestyle as quickly as possible.