China Outperforms US in [CO.sub.2] Cuts.

CHINA - Within the next five years, reports a joint World Energy Council/UN Environment Programme [www.unep.org] study, renewable, clean energy systems can "save the equivalent of I billion tons of [CO.sub.2] annually." A survey of 91 countries disclosed that clean energy projects already underway and planned "could raise the global [CO.sub.2] savings to as high as 2 billion tons" by 2005 -- a 6 percent reduction in current global [CO.sub.2] emissions. China, despite an economic growth spurt of 36 percent, has cut its [CO.sub.2] emissions by 17 percent. China accomplished this by promoting energy conservation, ending coal subsidies and supporting more efficient power generation technologies. China's emissions are now as much as 900 million tons below anticipated levels and on par with Germany and Canada. In the US, [CO.sub.2] emissions have increased from 4.8 billion tons in 1990 to more than 5.4 billion tons in 1998.