China on Track to Meet Climate Goals      

China is making progress toward controlling greenhouse gas emissions, according to new research by the Word Resources Institute (WRI).
   One key program, for instance, requires 1 000 of China's largest state-owned enterprises to implement comprehensive reductions in energy intensity, and monitors their progress. This "Top 1 000 Enterprises Program" met its goals in the first year and exceeded its targets in 2007.
   Another policy is to shut down small-scale inefficient facilities. In 2007, China closed 1 000 cement plants with a combined capacity of 50 million t/a, 14.4 GW worth of small power plants, and plants producing 35 million tons of steel every year.
   WRI's analysis also shows that the average efficiency of coal-fired plants is now higher in China than in the United States.
   China is also on pace to meet very ambitious renewable-energy goals. Installation of new wind power capacity since 2006 has consistently exceeded targets. By 2010, China will have at least 10 GW of installed wind power capacity, rising to an expected 150 GW in 2020 - five times the current U.S. level. China's solar reliance is also growing rapidly: 10% of Chinese homes have solar water heaters and the number is growing at 20% per year.