2a- China and UK Flashcards
what was china’s emissions like before 1970
population was overwhelmingly rural and economy was largely dependent on biofuels so CO2 emissions were very low
what happened in China after 1970
U-turn of policy by chinas leaders moved country away from strict command economy and embrace free market.
Economic liberalisation simulated international trade and FDI so China became a major player in the global economy- economic growth based on export-led manufacturing. In 1970 controlled 1% of worlds exports, now 12%
what did industrialisation and urbanisation change in China
hundreds of millions of people migrated from rural to urban areas in the past 40 years- largest population movement in history
how did China’s GDP change
rose from $299 in 1980 to $12,800 IN 2012
what did the economic change and industrialisation in China make possible
energy consumption- mostly came from indigenous reserves of coal- led to a large increase in CO2 emissions.
How much did China’s emissions rise
as they werent bound by any protocols like Kyoto the CO2 emissions rose 2.5 times from 2000-2014.
how much coal does china consume now
1840 million tonnes in 2014- almost as much coal as the rest of the world together. Overtook the US as the biggest emitter in 2006
what is china’s energy mix like now
emission rates have slowed recently but coal still provides 2/3 of chinas energy
Chinas aim to reduce CO2 emissions by 40% between 2005-2020 seems to have little chance of success
when did industrialistion in UK take off
early 19th century- led to significant CO2 emissions, over the century emissions increased sixteenfold.
how did the energy mix in the UK vary until 1970’s
remained dependent on coal for main energy source for most of 20th century- coal production peaked in 1916 with 137million tonnes. In 1961 output was still more than 120million tonnes
reliance on coal and expanding economy meant CO2 emissions kept increasing
when did trend of CO2 emissions vary in the UK
when GDP and economic activity fell
during 1921 minor strikes and the general strike of 1926 - CO2 emissions declined
In early 1980s was a big decline due to economic recession and unemployment
global financial crisis of 2008 caused sudden reduction in CO2 emissions
when did UK co2 emissions peak and how much have they fallen by
peaked in 1971 and since then the annual emissions have fallen by around 1/3
why have the CO2 emissions fallen in the UK
shift away from coal as the primary fuel to cheaper natural gas
development of nuclear power stations and renewable sources of energy since 1990s
improvements in energy conservation through more energy-efficient homes, offices and factories
international obligations and legally binding reductions in carbon emissions
what happened in the UK in 2014
CO2 emissions fell by 9% (a record) - reflecting a fall in energy demand due to mild winter and spring. 15% of electricity generation came from renewables
Coal consumption was lowest since 1950s with 2 major coal-fired power stations decommissioned.
Drax factory in North Yorkshire switched capacity to biomass fuels
UK govs drive to decarbonise the British economy is likely to lead to further reductions in carbon emissions in the future
