It is the country's primary energy source and the main cause of its air pollution and acid rain, although coal use has declined since the 1950s and has fluctuated in recent years as the use of oil, natural gas and hydroelectric power has increased ( Supplementary Fig. China leads the world in the production and consumption of coal 8, with 25% of the world's total. China ranks eighth in that respect among the 15 major countries ( Supplementary Table). But China's per capita use of energy in 2001 was only a ninth of that in the United States, and half of the world average.

But despite China's large total GDP and outputs of these various products, its per capita GDP and outputs are still much lower than those of many other countries - hence they still have a large potential to increase.Д«ecause energy is essential for China's rapid economic development, China is the second-largest energy consumer, after the United States. Production and consumption of these industrial and agricultural products leads to air, water and land pollution and other forms of environmental damage. As the second-largest producer and consumer of pesticides, China accounts for 14% of the world total and has become a net exporter. It is the largest consumer of fertilizer and accounts for 90% of the global increase in fertilizer use since 1981. From 1978 to 2003 its production of steel, cement, chemical fibre and colour TVs increased by 7, 13, 42 and 17,214 times, respectively ( Supplementary Fig. It is the world's largest producer of steel, cement, aquacultured food and television sets, and is the second-largest producer of electricity and chemical textiles. It ranks third in total gross domestic product (GDP) and has the highest growth rate, of three times the world average, of our 15 comparison countries ( Table 1). China's economy is big, and growing fast ( Fig. Although China's per capita environmental impact is still far below that of developed countries ( Table 1), the proportionate increase in total human impact on the world's environments will be enormous if China's per capita impacts catch up with such countries.Д®conomy. A factor exacerbating many environmental problems in China is that, as a вЂworld factoryвЂ™, China exports products but consumes natural resources and leaves pollutants behind. China accounts for 15% of the world fish catch and 33% of global fish and seafood consumption 3, 4. China is already the largest contributor of sulphur oxides and chlorofluorocarbons to the atmosphere 1 its dust and aerial pollutants are transported eastwards to neighbouring countries and even North America and it is one of the two leading importers of tropical rainforest timber 2, making it a driving force behind tropical deforestation. China's environmental problems are also spilling over into other countries, while other countries affect China's environment through globalization, pollution and resource exploitation.

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