Carbon scheme gains in popularity

China's electricity generators, which account for 40 percent of the country's carbon emissions, are stepping up their efforts at improving energy efficiency and emission reduction through a market-driven, pilot carbon trading system.

Wang Zhixuan, secretary-general of China Electricity Council, told a carbon-trading summit in Beijing that in the past electricity companies have largely adopted a "wait-and-see" approach to the practice.

But now some of them are actively increasing their involvement in the carbon-trading market, as changes to the regulatory landscape and demand for cleaner power sources force them to follow a different path of growth.