Stay up to date on cleantech



Follow cleantech innovations »

China to tax polluted air and water?

May 1, 2009 - Cleantech Group best of the web pick

China will soon weigh its options in taxing greenhouse gas emissions and waste water, according to a report today.

China recently passed the U.S. as the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. It gets about 80 percent of its electricity from coal-fired power plants (see China to close 31GW of coal power plants).

The Ministry of Environmental Protection commissioned studies on the impact of taxing emissions including carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide and ammonia pollutants. Reuters reports that the studies are due within a month, but there's no indication the response will be swift.

According to the report, gvernment officials in China want to weigh their options, but they still say they want developed countries to take the lead in reducing emissions (seeA Copenhagen call to action).

Read the article »

Source: 
Reuters

Coverage brought to you by

Eureka Private Equity CEC NEA IKEA GreenTech AB

Comments

Pollution Controls for China

The incentive for the government in looking at limits to pollution may be the realization that even the leaders in the government would like to see China as it once existed in the past with respect to clean air, soil and water. China cannot be China to the Chinese unless efforts are made to restore its environment. Since the government itself owns most of the coal thermal facilities, decisions to tax only mean that they would like some of ther profits used to clean up the environment. However, proposing such actions and then acting upon them are two different things since the enforcement aspect of any regulations which cut down on profit-making are generally frowned upon. Yet, there is hope that even the leaders are getting tired of breathing in polluted air and not being able to see a blue sky and cries for clean water from their own people must be ringing in their ears. If they can only gain some control over their own greed, then there should be some improvements implemented.

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.