China, world’s biggest material consumer: UN report

%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EChina%20has%20surged%20ahead%20of%20the%20rest%20of%20the%20world%20in%20material%20consumption%2C%20which%20has%20created%20intense%20pressure%20on%20the%20country%27s%20environment%2C%20according%20to%20a%20report%20released%20by%20the%20United%20Nations%20Environment%20Programme%20%28UNEP%29%20on%20Friday.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20UNEP%20released%20the%20report%20%22Resource%20Efficiency%3A%20Economics%20and%20Outlook%20for%20China%22%20on%20Friday%20during%20a%20two-day%20international%20forum%20held%20in%20the%20city%20of%20Ordos%20in%20north%20China%27s%20Inner%20Mongolia%20Autonomous%20Region.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EAccording%20to%20the%20report%2C%20China%20has%20become%20the%20world%27s%20largest%20consumer%20of%20primary%20materials%2C%20including%20minerals%2C%20metal%20ore%2C%20fossil%20fuels%20and%20biomass%2C%20with%20domestic%20material%20consumption%20levels%20four%20times%20that%20of%20the%20United%20States.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EFrom%201970%20to%202008%2C%20China%27s%20per%20capita%20consumption%20of%20materials%20grew%20from%20one-third%20to%20over%20one-and-a-half%20times%20global%20average%20levels.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20report%20said%20massive%20investment%20in%20urban%20infrastructure%20and%20manufacturing%20have%20caused%20the%20domestic%20per%20capita%20consumption%20of%20natural%20resources%20to%20increase%20at%20almost%20twice%20the%20rate%20of%20the%20rest%20of%20the%20Asia-Pacific%20region.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EUrbanization%20and%20infrastructure%20have%20driven%20the%20consumption%20of%20minerals%20for%20use%20in%20construction%20and%20metal%20ore%2C%20while%20increased%20fossil%20fuel%20consumption%20has%20contributed%20to%20China%27s%20rising%20carbon%20dioxide%20emissions%2C%20the%20report%20said.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EChina%27s%20emissions%20of%20greenhouse%20gases%20per%20unit%20of%20economic%20output%20are%20four%20times%20the%20global%20average%20and%20twice%20that%20of%20the%20rest%20of%20the%20Asia-Pacific%20region%2C%20the%20report%20said.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EChina%20has%20seen%20dramatic%20growth%20in%20past%20decades%20and%20the%20effect%20of%20its%20transition%20on%20global%20demand%20for%20natural%20resources%20is%20unprecedented%2C%20said%20Achim%20Steiner%2C%20UN%20under-secretary-general%20and%20UNEP%20executive%20director.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3ESteiner%20said%20China%27s%20growth%20has%20come%20with%20rising%20environmental%20challenges.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20report%20said%20China%2C%20as%20well%20as%20other%20emerging%20economies%2C%20needs%20to%20make%20significant%20investment%20in%20more%20resource-efficient%20infrastructure.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EAlthough%20the%20country%20is%20facing%20serious%20challenges%2C%20it%20also%20remains%20among%20the%20most%20successful%20in%20the%20world%20in%20improving%20resource%20efficiency%2C%20the%20report%20noted.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20Chinese%20government%20has%20tried%20to%20shift%20to%20more%20balanced%20growth%20in%20recent%20years%2C%20as%20well%20as%20worked%20to%20improve%20resource%20and%20energy%20efficiency.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EChina%20was%20one%20of%20the%20first%20countries%20to%20embrace%20the%20circular%20economy%20approach%20as%20a%20new%20paradigm%20for%20economic%20and%20industrial%20development.%20In%202009%2C%20the%20circular%20economy%20promotion%20law%20was%20promulgated%20and%20put%20into%20force%20in%20order%20to%20improve%20resource%20efficiency%2C%20protect%20the%20environment%20and%20achieve%20sustainable%20development.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EAccording%20to%20another%20UNEP-backed%20study%20released%20earlier%20this%20year%2C%20China%20invested%2067%20billion%20U.S.%20dollars%20in%20the%20renewable%20energy%20market%20in%202012%2C%20up%2022%20percent%20from%20last%20year%2C%20which%20consolidated%20its%20position%20as%20the%20world%27s%20dominant%20renewable%20energy%20market%20player.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%3CBR%3E%28Xinhua%20net%29%3CBR%3E%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E