China Energy Outlook 2020 - Flipbook - Page 18
high when compared to the global average (1.63 gCO2/gce), the U.S. (1.53 gCO2/gce), and
Europe (1.37 gCO2/gce) (IEA, 2019c).6
Chapter 1 of the China Energy Outlook provides updated information on China’s energy
consumption and production – mostly through 2018 – supplemented with information on 2019
trends where data are available. This chapter starts with the key drivers of China’s energy use –
population and urbanization – and then focuses on energy consumption trends by end-use
sectors of the economy. Next, trends in the production of fuels used to meet these end-use
demands are discussed, identifying recent areas of growth as well as discussing China’s import
dependence. Finally, the chapter concludes with a discussion of China’s energy-related CO2
emissions, showing that even though China dominates in terms of total current CO2 emissions,
its per capita CO2 emissions are below those of the U.S., Japan, and Russia.
Population, Urbanization, and GDP Trends in the Context of Energy Use
Population growth, increased urbanization, and economic growth are all important drivers of
the increases in China’s energy consumption. Figure 1-1 shows the average annual growth rates
of these three macroeconomic indicators for China for 1980-2019.
Figure 1-1. China’s Total Population, Urbanization, and GDP Growth (1980-2019)
Source: NBS, various years (a).
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Note that the IEA calculates China’s 2018 value to be 2.09 gCO2/gce, slightly lower than the LBNL value.
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