China Energy Outlook 2020 - Flipbook - Page 10
China Energy Outlook:
Understanding China’s Energy and Emissions Trends
Nan Zhou, Hongyou Lu, Nina Khanna, Xu Liu, David Fridley, Lynn Price,
Bo Shen, Wei Feng, Jiang Lin, Carolyn Szum, Chao Ding
China Energy Group
International Energy Analysis Department
Energy Analysis and Environmental Impacts Division
Energy Technologies Area
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Executive Summary
China is the world’s largest consumer and producer of primary energy as well as the world’s
largest emitter of energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2). China surpassed the U.S. in primary
energy consumption in 2010 and in CO2 emissions in 2006. In 2018, China was responsible for
21% of total global primary energy use (IEA, 2019a) and about 29% of global energy-related CO2
emissions (IEA, 2019b).
China’s 1.4 billion people consume energy to meet their daily needs, including heating and
cooling of their living and working places, fuel for cooking their meals, electricity to power their
appliances and equipment, and fuels for both their own personal transportation as well as the
products they purchase.
Residential and commercial buildings have consumed roughly 20% of primary energy use for
more than two decades, with building energy consumption nearly tripling since 2000. China has
been rapidly building new urban residential and commercial buildings over the past two
decades. Energy used to heat, cool, cook, and power appliances and equipment in residential
and commercial buildings increased during this period due to China’s growing middle-class,
improved standard of living, and rapid urbanization.
Energy use to transport China’s residents as well as raw materials (e.g. coal), manufactured
products, and other goods has increased significantly, growing from consumption of 28.95
million tons of coal equivalent (Mtce) - a 5% share - in 1980 to 368.54 Mtce – a 9% share - in
2018, or 9.7% on an adjusted basis. China’s electric vehicle market began to grow in 2011,
gained momentum in 2014, and was further boosted in 2015 with significant government
financial support. The sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs), which includes battery electric
vehicles, hybrid vehicles, fuel-cell electric vehicles, hydrogen vehicles, and other new energy
vehicles grew 114% per year on average from 2011 to 2018 and now account for almost 6% of
China’s passenger car market.
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