SINGAPORE, Nov 21 (Reuters) - China is on track to meet a goal to bring its climate-warming carbon dioxide emissions to a peak before 2030, according to a poll of 89 experts from industry and academia published on Tuesday, though questions remain over how high the top will be.
More than 70% of respondents said China, the world's biggest carbon dioxide emitter, will be able to meet the target, with two saying its emissions had already peaked, in a poll compiled by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), a Helsinki-based think tank.
Still, "experts remain concerned about how high the peak emissions would reach compared to previous levels," CREA said, with a majority of respondents expecting the total to be at least 15% higher than the 2020 level.
Half of the experts surveyed by CREA said they believed China would reach peak primary energy consumption before the end of this decade, though nearly a quarter still forecast it would continue to rise even after 2035.
CREA's lead analyst Lauri Myllyvirta said last week it was likely China's emissions would go into a "structural decline" from next year, with renewable sources capable of meeting new energy demand.
Persons:
CREA, CREA's, Lauri Myllyvirta, David Stanway, Sonali Paul
Organizations:
Centre for Research, Energy, Clean, Dubai, U.S, Thomson
Locations:
SINGAPORE, China, Helsinki, Beijing