Report Says China Can Become a Global Energy Challenge

The World Energy Outlook (WEO) is an annual flagship publication of the International Energy Agency (IEA). For their 2007 publication, the report focused on the “energy developments in China and India and their implications for the world”. In the launch of WEO 2007, IEA Executive Director, Nobuo Tanaka mentions said that the energy challenges facing China and India will have an impact on developing countries, and that these will call for a global response. “Energy developments in China and India are transforming the global energy system as a result of their sheer size and their growing importance in international energy markets”. Rapid economic development would increase energy demand in China and India, but at the same time, would result in economic benefits to their respective populations, as well as benefits for many countries. However, “unfettered growth” can have negative consequences for many countries.

The report features three energy scenarios in 2030: (1) Reference Scenario (surging energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions under existing government policies), (2) Alternative Policy Scenario (scenario showing how policies driven by energy and environment issues could “curb growth in energy demand”, and (3) High Growth Scenario (analysis of energy use trends, if high economic growth levels continue through the projection period. Details of the report can be obtained from the URL above