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Energy efficiency policies can help to reduce energy use and mitigate the effects of climate change. This paper examines the U.S. and Chinese economies by applying HEM to both. Key sectors absorbing more energy from other sectors by purchasing intermediate products from them and, simultaneously, transferring more energy by selling products to the rest of the sectors are identified. This provides insights for decision-making on appropriate energy efficiency policies. It appears that the U.S. economy should focus on the service sector, and the Chinese should focus on the industrial sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world's economic system and ecosystem have everything to gain by teasing apart the issues related to infrastructure and climate change in China. If China is to sustain its economic growth and improve its living standards over the next several decades, huge sums of capital will be needed to finance green infrastructure in energy and water. While cooperative approaches between government and the private sector are necessary, global capital markets can vet infrastructure projects and technologies to finance green infrastructure. The BOT and PPP approaches to financing infrastructure projects in China, based on "contract finance," have serious shortcomings. A more modern approach, based on "market finance," can raise the capital required for green infrastructure projects without creating undesirable consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change is now one of the biggest challenges facing humankind in the twenty-first century. It is occurring at a time when China's economic rise is leading to substantial environmental problems combined with escalating demands on global resources. Many commentators have warned of impending economic collapse, rising social conflicts, and large-scale public health disasters.1 It is not only China's modernisation drive that is at stake. The spill-over effects across borders also present security concerns at the regional and global levels. From a global security perspective, the emerging environmental crisis is generally cast in highly negative terms. Limited attention has been given to the question of whether China can adapt. In the case of climate change this is now an urgent task. On the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau climate impacts pose significant security risks for China and the Asia region. The ability to adapt is of critical importance to the future sustainability of these ecosystems as well as the millions of people they serve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]