China surpassed US in 2006 carbon-dioxide emissions

THE HAGUE: China for the first time spewed out more carbon-dioxide emissions last year than the United States, a Dutch government research body said on Tuesday.

"China's 2006 carbon dioxide emissions surpassed those of the US by 8.0 per cent," the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (MNP) said.

In 2005 US emissions were up 2 per cent compared to China. The MNP said the figures were based on its own preliminary estimates derived from recent energy and cement production data.

Industrial processes and the burning of fossil fuels -- oil, gas and coal are the main causes of carbon-dioxide emissions. Of the industrial processes, cement production is one of the principal sources of greenhouse gas, the MNP said.

In 2006 China had a 44 per cent share in global cement production, it added.

According to the MNP figures, China's emissions increased by 9 per cent in 2006 compared to its 2005 output. In the United States emissions rose 1.4 per cent from 2005 to 2006.