Coal addiction

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, China's energy supply has been dominated by coal, followed by oil, natural gas and renewable energies.

China is the world's second largest energy consumer after the United States. In 2009, it consumed 2.146 billion tonnes of standard oil, averaging 1.61 tonnes per person, a fifth of the average level of the United States.

China is also a leading energy producer, supplying over 90 percent of its consumed energy.

Although it is developing faster than anywhere else in the world, China's clean energy accounts for only about 8 percent of its primary energy consumption. Fossil fuels will dominate for a long time to come.

Coal constitutes more than 70 percent of China's energy mix, far higher than the world average of 29.2 percent. China's coal consumption per unit of GDP is 15 times that of Japan and 8.7 times that of the United States.

The heavy reliance on coal is attributed to its price. Coal-generated electricity generally costs about half the price of wind power, industry officials say.

The use of coal means more carbon dioxide emissions, seriously challenging China's ability to cope with climate change, though its per capita greenhouse gas emissions were only 5.5 tonnes last year, less than one third those of the United States.