China is world's largest investor in renewable energies

BEIJING: The world's largest energy consumer China says it is now also the number one global investor in renewable energies, with over USD 43 billion in investments.

China has become the world's biggest investor in renewable energy sources, said Wang Yuqing, the deputy director of the Committee of Population, Resources and Environment of the CPPCC National Committee, on Saturday during a forum held in Nanning, the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

Besides being the largest energy consumer, China is also the world's number one emitter of green house gases.

The official of China's top advisory body estimated that more than 3,000 billion yuan (USD 473.1 billion) will be spent on environmental protection-related initiatives between 2011 and 2015.

Issues relating to the environment and resources are becoming more urgent in China, as the world's second-largest economy is currently on the fast track to industrialisation, said Wang, who is also president of the Chinese Society For Environmental Sciences.