China is now the world’s biggest energy consumer, according to new figures from the International Energy Agency.
The U.S. has held the designation since the early 1900s, but tremendous growth in China over the last decade is causing the country’s energy demand to rocket past that of the U.S.
Only ten years ago, China’s total energy use was just half that of the U.S.
China is disputing the new figures, but has yet to offer alternative data. The country is also quick to note that its per capita energy use is still far below the U.S.
According to the Wall Street Journal, China’s increasing energy demand presents new challenges to U.S. foreign policy and international efforts to respond to the threat of climate change.
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