China has surged ahead of the rest of the world in material consumption, which has created intense pressure on the country's environment, according to a report released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on Friday.
According to the report, China has become the world's largest consumer of primary materials, including minerals, metal ore, fossil fuels and biomass, with domestic material consumption levels four times that of the United States.
According to the report, China has become the world's largest consumer of primary materials, including minerals, metal ore, fossil fuels and biomass, with domestic material consumption levels four times that of the United States.
The report said massive investment in urban infrastructure and manufacturing have caused the domestic per capita consumption of natural resources to increase at almost twice the rate of the rest of the Asia-Pacific region.
Urbanization and infrastructure have driven the consumption of minerals for use in construction and metal ore, while increased fossil fuel consumption has contributed to China's rising carbon dioxide emissions, the report said.
China's emissions of greenhouse gases per unit of economic output are four times the global average and twice that of the rest of the Asia-Pacific region, the report said.
Although the country is facing serious challenges, it also remains among the most successful in the world in improving resource efficiency, the report noted.
In 2009, the circular economy promotion law was promulgated and put into force in order to improve resource efficiency, protect the environment and achieve sustainable development.
According to another UNEP-backed study released earlier this year, China invested 67 billion U.S. dollars in the renewable energy market in 2012, up 22 percent from last year, which consolidated its position as the world's dominant renewable energy market player.
Source: Xinhua
