21st Century Challenges

China’s ‘rapid renewables surge’

A colossal increase in investment will launch China to the top of the global renewable energy rankings by 2009; this comes at a time when it faces criticism over air quality during the Olympics. It is expected to invest an average of $33bn annually to meet a target of 15% of energy from low carbon technologies by 2020.

United on climate change: Obama’s Chinese revolution

US President wants the world's two biggest polluters to form a partnership in the battle against global warming. Geoffrey Lean reports

China exports at lowest level in a decade

Chinese exports dropped 17.5 per cent in January compared with the same month the year before, the biggest decline in more than a decade as the impact on the economy from the global slump gathered pace.

Beijing blanketed by snow after China seeds clouds to beat drought

Heavy snowfalls over Beijing have been induced by blasting chemicals into clouds over northern China to try to mitigate the most severe drought to grip northern China in nearly half a century.

So much for capitalism

For two decades, in the 1980s and 1990s, China pushed forward a series of economic reforms that came at a vast cost, exceeded only by their vaster rewards. Now, as the financial crisis sweeps across the world, those reforms are going into reverse. It is a sign of how hard governments find it to shake off the habit of ownership.

50 people who will frame the debate on the Future of Capitalism

50 people who will frame the debate on the Future of Capitalism

A guide to the G20

Read a quick guide to the Group-of-Twenty (G20) meeting in London, April 2009

Ahead of G20 summit, report says: promote sustainability over growth

The pursuit of economic growth was one of the root causes of the financial crisis, and governments should respond to the recession by abandoning growth at all costs in favour of a more sustainable, greener system, says a report out today.

On eve of G20 summit, new blow to Gordon Brown

Ministers were struggling to maintain momentum for the G20 summit last night after it emerged that any spending decisions would be deferred to a later meeting, further narrowing the scope of this week's London talks, which have been plagued by divisions between European leaders and Gordon Brown.

New world order emerges from chaos

Slowly the shape of the world after the financial flood is beginning to emerge.

China plans 59 reservoirs to collect meltwater from its shrinking glaciers

Major project for Xinjiang province amid concerns over future water supply

Importing food means exporting drought

We need to change the way we eat if we are to tackle the looming catastrophe of water scarcity

Carbon capture technology tested

New carbon capture technology is being tested for the first time in the UK on a working coal-fired power station.

China recruits algae to combat climate change

Chinese firm behind ambitious plan to breed microalgae in greenhouse with the potential to absorb carbon emissions

Importing goods, exporting drought?

October 2009

George Alagiah chairs a discussion with Robin Farrington, WWF and Andy Wales, SAB Miller on the scale of global water consumption needed to produce what we use and consume and the dramatic impact it has around the world.

Watch the talks

Can we manipulate the weather?

Chinese scientists claim to be able to control the weather. But is so-called geoengineering more than wishful thinking? And, if so, should we be worried?

China unveils emissions targets ahead of Copenhagen

China has unveiled its first firm target for limiting greenhouse gas emissions, two weeks before a global summit on climate change in Copenhagen. Beijing said it would aim to reduce its "carbon intensity" by 40-45% by the year 2020, compared with 2005 levels.