Which country is more likely to cut down its carbon emissions more successfully?
Although the US is a service-based economy with less than 15% manufacturing sector, its energy generation structure is worse than China.
Let's break down the energy sectors in the US and China.
US:
Fossil fuel (gas=38%, coal=23%): 61%
Nuclear: 20%
Green energy (Wind and solar): 17%
China:
Fossil fuel: 57.7%
Nuclear: 2.03%
Green energy (Wind=11.7% and solar=11.1%): 22.8%
Hydroelectricity: 17.2%
In order for the US to reduce its carbon emissions, the US has to reclassify nuclear energy as a source of green energy despite it producing radioactive waste. Therefore, the US is replacing one type of pollution with another.
This will allow China to ramp up its nuclear power stations since it has a low percentage (2.03%) in its energy infrastructure. China is also able to reduce its carbon emissions by reducing its internal flights as it has about 38,000km of high-speed railway.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail_in_China
However, the US is unable to reduce its internal flights because it has no high-speed railway for its citizens to move around.
Therefore, we can see that China has a more diversified energy infrastructure than the US. Furthermore, China wants to commercialize its nuclear fusions in 2050 which will allow China to be a carbon-neutral country in 2060 as stipulated by President Xi.
http://epaper.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202101/08/WS5ff796a0a31099a2343531ab.html
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