China has set a target of increasing renewable energy use from
the present 10 percent to 20 percent of the total energy
consumption by 2020 to meet the increasing demand and reduce the
greenhouse effect.
"Wind power has the greatest potential in renewable energy, and
biomass will help in fuel consumption," said Wind Energy
Association Vice-Chairman Shi Pengfei.
But renewable energy has its problems such as high costs and
poor research and development, he said.
According to Li Junfeng, deputy director of the National
Development and Reform Commission's Energy Research Institute, by
the end of October 2006, the total installed capacity of wind and
solar power in the country was 2.3 million kilowatts and 300
megawatts, respectively, a rise of 85 and 100 percent over
2005.
But shortage of funds hindered technological innovation in the
bio-fuel sector because of which power generation grew only by 10
percent last year.
The development of renewable energy is expected to help the
country reduce environmental pollution and eco-damage. The future
of sustainable economic development relies on the improvement of
efficiency, Xinhua quoted a United Nations Environmental Program
(UNEP) official as having said.
"The future for sustainable economic development relies on
cooperation across the world in industrial restructuring,
efficiency improvement, adoption of renewable energies, and
adjustment of the current modes of production and consumption,"
said UNEP Deputy Executive Director Shafqat Kakakhel in his letter
to a recent economic forum held in North China's Tianjin.
In its bid to protect the environment and build an energy-saving
society, the Chinese government will expedite the setting up of a
standard scientific evaluation system for energy consumption to
meet its energy and pollution targets, National Bureau of
Statistics Director Xie Fuzhan said.
The Ministry of Finance has said the government will adopt new
steps, including developing the pollutant emission trade and
raising taxes for pollutant discharge this year, to speed up
environmental protection, according to Xinhua.
(China Daily February 27, 2007)
