According to researchers at Stanford University, who are closely monitoring China's carbon emissions, the country has leveled off its impressive energetic sector growth in the last months of 2008, compared to the same time frame in previous years. This doesn't mean that the country descended from the top place in the international hierarchy of the most polluting nations. Its output still exceeds that of the United States, though it has only recently surpassed it.

The main reason why China could not sustain its rapid growth pace is the fact that it relies heavily on coal for producing electricity, a dependency that involves serious risks, as the current situations show. Because of the layout of its thermoelectric power plants, Beijing authorities found it impossible to deliver on time the needed amounts of coal to factories demanding it, thus crippling the operation of its own facilities.

Plus, the poor quality of most of its coal, which is regularly preferred over superior but more expensive one, means that the power plants place larger amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for the same amount of electricity. There is also talk of corruption in various areas of the country, where local authorities put their own interests, and those of companies, in front of the national one.

Economy experts said long ago that a country growing as fast as China does right now could not possibly keep up the pace for many years. Indeed, over the past decade, the Asian nation has experienced a financial “boom,” leaving the Western world puzzled at the sight of its growth rhythm.

Gang He and David G. Victor, the two Stanford researchers that monitor the fluctuations in China's power sector, estimate that the nation will emit by as much as 1.9 to 2.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide less in 2009 and 2010 than first predicted. But they also warn that these data will only be viable as long as the economic downturn is still in progress. As soon as the situation comes back to normal, so will China's growth.