China
 A Chinese worker dusts solar panels at the Shandong Hilight Solar Co. Ltd. factory in Zouping county in east China’s Shandong province on 23 October 2013. (Dong naide / Imaginechina via AP) |
With pollution levels alarmingly high in a number of its cities, China has taken aggressive steps to clean up its skies. In fact, China has become the leading investor in the global trillion-dollar renewable energy market, knocking the US into second place. China has also installed more clean energy technologies — such as solar panels and wind turbines — than any other country. In 2013, it spent $4.3 billion to install 62 million smart meters, devices that communicate directly with energy suppliers and help to reduce pollution. In response to the pollution plaguing its cities, the government has set up a $1.65 billion fund aimed at reducing fossil-fuel consumption in its most polluted cities. |
