EST 612. Environmental Policy and Governance

The United States and China: A Brief Comparison

David A. Sonnenfeld

Dept. of Environmental StudiesCollege of Environmental Science and Forestry

State University of New YorkSyracuse, NY, 13210 USA

February 2010

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United States of America (USA)

• World's largest economy– $12.15 trillion GNI per year, 3.4% growth rate (2004

est.) – $40 billion FDI (2002 est.) – $37,388 GDP per capita (2003 est.)

• Population: 298.4 million, 1.0% growth rate (2006 est.) • Ecological footprint (2003 est.)

– United States: 9.6 ha per capita– Finland: 7.6 ha per capita– Canada: 7.6 ha per capita

• World's most polluting country– 22.5 % of total CO2 emissions (1998 est.) – CO2 emissions: 19.8 metric tons/ per capita (2000 est.)

– CO2 emissions: 5,590 mmt total (2000 est.)

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Environmental Quality in the USA

90

100

110

120

130

140

150

1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002

Greenhouse GasesEnergy ConsumptionFossil Fuel ConsumptionElectricity ConsumptionPopulationGross Domestic Product

Per

Cent

Source: US EPA (2004)

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Environmental Quality in the USA

Source: US EPA (2003)

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People’s Republic of China

• World's fastest growing economy– $1.68 trillion GNI per year, 8.8% growth rate (2004 est.) – $49 billion FDI (2002 est.) – $1,094 GDP per capita (2003 est.)

• Population– 1/5 of world’s total– 1.3 billion, 0.7% growth rate (2006 est.)

• Ecological footprint (2003 est.)

– China: 1.6 ha per capita– Albania: 1.4 ha per capita– Dominican Rep.: 1.6 ha per capita

• Pollution– CO2 emissions: 2.2 metric tons/ per capita (2000 est.) – CO2 emissions: 2,780 mmt (2000 est.)

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Environmental Quality in China

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7

Environmental Quality in China

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Environmental Quality in China

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Ratification of Environmental Agreements

United States China

International Trade in Endangered Species (1973)

Yes Yes

Montreal Protocol (1987) Yes Yes

Basel Convention (1989) No Yes

Convention on Biological Diversity (1992)

No Yes

Kyoto Protocol (1997) No Yes