Monbiot – China’s growth is no figleaf for the real source of CO2 emissions: UK

China is blamed for soaring carbon emissions and used as an excuse for the west to do nothing on climate change


But now, of course, we find that the story is not quite as we have been told. Yes, China’s carbon pollution is soaring (though the Chinese still produce less than half as much CO2 per capita as we do), but that’s only partly because of China’s own consumption.

A new paper in Geophysical Research Letters shows that half the recent growth in emissions, and one-third of China’s total carbon pollution, should, in fairness belong to other countries, as they have been produced while manufacturing goods for export. By closing down our manufacturing industries and moving production to China, we have dumped our emissions in another country.

Guardian