China dismisses IEA label as world’s top energy user

According to Reuters, “China on Tuesday disputed that it had surpassed the United States last year to become the world’s largest energy user, and defended its efforts in boosting cleaner energy sources.

The International Energy Agency estimates China last year consumed 2.265 billion tonnes of oil equivalent of energy from sources including coal, oil, natural gas, hydro and nuclear power, 4.4 percent more than the United States.

But Zhou Xian, spokesperson for China’s National Energy Administration, said on Tuesday that the IEA’s estimate of China’s energy consumption was too high, although he declined to give an alternative estimate.

The IEA estimate, he said, “could be used as a reference but is not very credible.”

“We believe that (IEA) did not understand fully the Chinese situation, in particular the efforts China made in energy saving, emission reductions and development in new energy sources,” said Zhou.

The IEA, adviser to 28 industrialised countries, is not the first provider of energy statistics to say China has become the top energy user.”

Read more: Reuters