China's energy consumption to top the world

China is likely to consume the world's most energy this year, and could take half of the world's total consumption in 2020 if it keeps the developing pattern unchanged, the Beijing Times reported Monday citing an expert.

 
The country may overtake the US in energy consumption this year, and could consume about eight billion tons of standard coal equivalent in 2020, more than half of the world's total consumption, if the consumption keeps accelerating by 8.9 percent, which is the average growth this century, predicted Zhou Dadi, vice-director of China Energy Research Society, on June 19 at a forum.

If China reduces the energy consumption per GDP unit by 20 percent every five years, the country still consumes more than 30 percent of the world's total consumption 10 years later, Zhou was quoted as saying in the paper.

China has been ranked No 2 in energy consumption since 2002.
(Source:chinadaily)