West's goods demand behind rapid increase in China's CO2

London, Feb 23 (ANI): Manufacturing goods for the West is behind China's increasing carbon emissions, according to a new study.

The study has shown that 50 percent of the recent rise in China's carbon dioxide pollution is caused by the manufacturing of goods for other countries - particularly developed nations such as the UK.

In 2008, China officially overtook the US as the world's biggest CO2 emitter, reports the Guardian.

However, the new study has shown that about a third of all Chinese carbon emissions are the result of producing goods for export.

According to Glen Peters, one of the authors of the new study at Oslo's Centre for International Climate and Environmental Research, about 9 perecnt of total Chinese emissions are the result of manufacturing goods for the US, and 6 percent are from producing goods for Europe.

Academics and campaigners increasingly say responsibility for these emissions lies with the consumer countries.

Dieter Helm, professor of economics at Oxford University, said, "focusing on consumption rather than production of emissions is the only intellectually and ethically sound solution. We've simply outsourced our production."

On contrary, the Department for Energy and Climate Change (Decc), argues that these 'embedded emissions' in Chinese-produced goods are not the UK's.

"The UK calculates and reports its emissions according to the internationally agreed criteria set out by the UN," it said.

However, the Decc has admitted, "the footprint associated with the UK's consumption has risen".

The study is due to be published in the scientific journal Geophysical Research Letters. (ANI)