Study confirms China is top carbon emitter

China's ranking as the world's largest emitter of the carbon dioxide seems confirmed by a new report from the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. Experts say the finding puts more pressure on Beijing to come up with their own figures.
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The study says China’s carbon emissions raced 14% ahead of the total emitted by the United States last year. It is the third report by European or US-based researchers to show China at the top.

"No matter how many of these kind of reports are released, you still need the confirmation from China to really confirm the story," Reuters reported Ailun Yang, from Greenpeace China, as saying.

Reuters quoted Isabel Hilton, editor of chinadialogue.net, as saying the findings will increase pressure on China to join a post-Kyoto regime. "As the Chinese saying goes, the tall tree attracts the wind. The government is conscious that being the largest emitter by volume, along with a vigorous program of building coal-fired power stations, risks putting China at a moral disadvantage in international diplomacy."

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