A parade in Beijing's Tiananmen Square is shrouded by the pollution that threatens to escalate to crisis proportions. Photo / Reuters

A parade in Beijing's Tiananmen Square is shrouded by the pollution that threatens to escalate to crisis proportions. Photo / Reuters

China is rapidly emerging as a key player in climate change politics, both as a major cause of the greenhouse gas emissions that are warming the planet and as a partner in international efforts to curb emissions.

China's role as a leading contributor to global warming was underscored by the recent spurt in growth recorded by its already supercharged economy.

The unexpected rise of just over 11 per cent in gross domestic product for the first quarter means that the world's most populous nation could overtake the United States as the largest emitter of greenhouse gases this year or next - at least a year earlier than the International Energy Agency predicted five months ago.

China's rise as a dirty power is impelling it to take more effective action to cut emissions.

Its own position on global warming has evolved considerably in the past few months. Previously, it had adopted a stonewall posture, blaming the US, Europe, Japan and other advanced economies for the mess and asserting that they should be responsible for cleaning it up.

China can argue that while it may be an economic powerhouse now, it has contributed less than 8 per cent of the total emissions of carbon dioxide from energy use since 1850, while America is responsible for 29 per cent and Western Europe for 27 per cent.

Carbon dioxide, or CO2, is produced by burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas for heat, power and transport. Many scientists say it is the main contributor to global warming.

China can also argue that although it may soon overtake the US as the top emitter of CO2, largely because it gets 70 per cent of its energy from coal, the highest carbon-emitting fuel, its comparative emissions for the average person are far below those of wealthy countries. UN figures show that the average US citizen is responsible for at least 20 metric tonnes of CO2 pollution each year, compared with China's 3.2 tonnes and the world average of 3.7.

Beijing has also made the point that much of the growth in China's emissions is to produce goods exported to the West.

Yet the scale and scope of China's pollution far outpaces that of the US and Europe during their industrial revolutions. If it continues unchecked - and other big emerging economies like India and Brazil follow a similar high-carbon growth path - the impact on the health of the planet could be catastrophic.

The Beijing Government acknowledges that it has a responsibility to control emissions.