, Columnist
How China’s Downturn Could Save the World
Strains in the country’s CO2-intensive growth model may be an issue for its economy, but good for the planet.
Less pollution?
Photographer: Qilai Shen/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The story of emissions over the past two decades has been written in Chinese.
Since it joined the World Trade Organization in 2001 and became the world’s factory, China has contributed nearly two-thirds of the growth in carbon pollution globally. Even in per-capita terms, it’s now a bigger greenhouse emitter than the European Union. The world’s carbon footprint is split into three roughly equal portions: China, all developed nations, and the rest of the world.