{
  "id": "RL30233",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RL30233",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 101861,
      "date": "1999-06-16",
      "retrieved": "2016-05-24T20:44:20.838941",
      "title": "Global Climate Change: Coal Use in China and Other Asian Developing Countries",
      "summary": "Under the international global climate change agreement negotiated in December 1997 in Kyoto,\nJapan, the United States would be required to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other\n\"greenhouse gases\" by 7% from their 1990 or 1995 levels (depending on the gas). However, the\nKyoto Protocol places no binding greenhouse gas restrictions on developing countries such as China\nand India -- whose CO2 emissions are projected to grow dramatically.\n  Concerns have arisen in the United States that without a binding agreement from China, India,\nand other developing countries, the responsibility for realizing worldwide greenhouse gas reduction\ngoals would fall entirely on industrialized countries, while developing countries continue to increase\ntheir emissions. Before completion of the Kyoto Protocol, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution\n( S.Res. 98 ) urging that the United States not become a party to the treaty if it did not\ninclude specified commitments by developing countries to limit or reduce their greenhouse gas\nemissions. The Clinton Administration has stated it will not send the protocol to the Senate for\nconsideration until \"meaningful participation\" by developing countries is achieved. Developing\ncountries are being encouraged to make voluntary commitments to limit greenhouse gas emissions.\n  Economists anticipate many Asian developing countries will continue to experience rapid\neconomic growth in the years ahead that will increase their demand for electric power, with coal likely\nto be a major energy source to support that growth. Forecasts show world coal demand growing\nnearly 70% between 1995 and 2020, with China and India accounting for 85% of that increase. Coal\nis a major source of CO2 emissions. China, one of the world's fastest growing economies, is on track\nto become the world leader in CO2 emissions within 20 years and is already the world leader in CO2\nemissions from coal. However, to date, China and India have not made any voluntary commitments\nto limit CO2 emissions.\n  China is expected to rely on coal to power much of its future development because of its\nabundant domestic reserves and low cost, and because the nation's infrastructure is better developed\nat this time for coal than for other energy sources. China stresses its right to pursue this course of\ndevelopment.\n  Fostering economic growth while curtailing CO2 emissions from fossil fuels is one of the\ngreatest dilemmas facing attempts to encourage third-world participation in greenhouse gas reduction\nefforts. Until this is addressed, the extent of U.S. participation remains unclear.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": false,
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          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL30233",
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      "topics": []
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Energy Policy"
  ]
}