China

Will China’s energy use continue to keep pace with its GDP? When will it overtake the United States as the world’s biggest CO­2 emitter? In addition to providing updated projections to 2030 for the country as a whole, WEO 2007 includes disaggregated projections the coastal provinces as a whole, which have a very different economic and energy profile from the less-developed central and western provinces. WEO 2007 also provides detailed analysis of the political, economic and demographic context, and the developments in China’s energy sector and energy policy, including domestic energy resources, plans and potential for production and how much investment will be required. The Reference Scenario lays out the energy trends to 2030 based on existing policies. The Alternative Policy Scenario describes what will happen if China takes stronger action to curb demand and develop alternatives. The High Growth Scenario details the consequences for energy demand, imports, investments and CO2 emissions if China continues to grow at today’s fast pace.