China Data: A Drop in Carbon Emissions in China

From stats on China’s megacities to the drop in carbon emissions in China, the numbers you need to know.

If you live in one of China’s smog-stricken cities, the first thing you probably do after waking up is check the PM2.5 levels on your phone. But now you have reason to cheer, albeit a small one. In 2014, China’s carbon emissions fell, for the very first time since 2001. At 2%, the drop is minuscule, but it’s a start.

With rising awareness and consciousness about environmental issues, the country is slowly taking to clean energy solutions. There are other measures in place too: such as number plate restrictions, restrictions on car ownership, shutting down polluting factories, encouraging electric vehicles, etc. Hopefully, that will result in clean air soon.

In the latest installment of China Data, we bring you the essential China numbers you should know about: from the drop in carbon emissions, to Tencent’s valuation and China’s megacities.