China eyes 20 per cent renewable energy by 2020

China plans to dramatically increase its use of wind and solar power, aiming to generate up to one fifth of its energy from renewable sources by 2020, a senior official told Britain's Guardian newspaper.

"We are now formulating a plan for development of renewable energy," Zhang Xiaoqiang, vice-chairman of China's national development and reform commission, said in an interview in London published yestesterday.

"We can be sure we will exceed the 15 per cent target. We will at least reach 18 per cent. Personally I think we could reach the target of having renewables provide 20 per cent of total energy consumption."

China's stated goal is for 15 per cent of its energy consumption in 2020 to come from renewable sources, which Beijing says include large hydropower projects and nuclear plants.

The Guardian reported Mr Zhang as saying that a significant part of China's economic stimulus package would be invested into low-carbon investment, and that accompanying reforms would see increased demand for renewable energy.

"Enterprises and government at all levels are showing more enthusiasm for the development of solar for power generation, and the Chinese government is now considering rolling out more stimulus policies for the development of solar power"' remarked Mr Zhang.

US climate envoy Todd Stern met with top Chinese officials in Beijing this week to press for a commitment to cutting greenhouse gas emissions under the next treaty on global warming, to be hammered out in Copenhagen in December.