China's emissions of carbon dioxide, the main heat-trapping greenhouse gas, accounted for two-thirds of the world's CO2 increase of 3.1 percent last year, according to a preliminary report published Friday by the Dutch government.

The report from the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency found that China's CO2 emissions were 14 percent higher than those of the United States in 2007. In a previous report, the agency claimed that China surpassed the United States as the world's top CO2 emitter for the first time in 2006.

The latest findings attributed 24 percent of the world's CO2 emissions last year to China, followed by the United States (21 percent), the European Union's 15 oldest members (12 percent), India (8 percent) and Russia (6 percent).

"The increase in global CO2 emissions was mainly due to the combustion of the fossil fuels coal, oil and natural gas," the report stated. "Fossil fuel still remains the most used energy source to meet the growing energy demand."

China gets roughly 80 percent of its electricity from coal. Much of that energy is consumed by Chinese kilns that produce roughly half of the world's cement.

About 20 percent of China's CO2 comes from its cement manufacturing sector, the report noted.

The United States is still the world's top CO2 emitter per person, the study underscored. The typical American is responsible for 19.4 metric tons of CO2. Rounding out the top five nation/regions in per-capita emissions are: Russia, 11.8 metric tons; the European Union-15, 8.6 metric tons; China, 5.1 metric tons; and India, 1.8 metric tons.

China's CO2 emissions grew 8 percent last year, compared to 2006, the report found. U.S. emissions were up 1.8 percent from the prior year.

The Dutch agency said it based its findings on BP PLC energy data and U.S. Geological Survey cement production data from 2007. The findings do not include CO2 emissions from deforestation and were calculated using default emission factors recommended by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Click here to read the report.