China's Clean Revolution?

The Summer Olympics are just about to kick off, and Chinese officials are hurrying to clean up the notorious Beijing air, limiting vehicular traffic and shutting down factories. Last month officials were embarassed when it was revealed the U.S. Olympic Committee would distribute a secretly-developed high-tech mask to its more than 600 athletes, to protect against the pollution.

But while China is building one coal-fired power station a week and has recently overtaken the U.S. as the world’s leading emitter of greenhouse gas (accounting for 24 per cent of total global emissions), China is also making strides in renewable energy and green technology, according to The Climate Group, which advises business and governments on combating climate change.

The report, "China’s Clean Revolution," shows that, thanks to billions of dollars of investment into energy efficiency and renewable energy, in the next year China will likely become the world’s leading exporter of wind turbines, and is competing aggressively in manufacturing solar water heaters, energy efficient home appliances, and rechargeable batteries. The Climate Group's China director, Changhua Wu, warns that while China may be on board the low-carbon economy bandwagon, it still has a long way to go.

(Photo by Adam Cohn)