Spotlight Activity: More Transparency is Needed in China’s Emission Level Reports to Ensure Reliability and Validity of Existing Data
Each year the National Bureau of Statistics releases a Report on carbon dioxide emission levels called the Statistical Bulletin of National Economic and Social Development. In 2018 the Report showed that China’s carbon dioxide emissions per 10,000 yuan of GDP decreased by 4.0. Despite the decrease of per GDP carbon dioxide emission, analysis shows that the overall carbon dioxide increased by 3 percent due to the growth of GDP, which is the largest rise since 2013.
For its annual report, the National Bureau of Statistics draws on emissions data produced by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment. However, the Ministry has yet to release the data used in the National Bureau’s 2018 Report, nor has its method of calculation has been explained, leaving the reliability of the data unknown.
Besides carbon dioxide, no other official source of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission data such as methane and nitrous oxide emission was found. Data on the level of non-carbon emissions is important since they contribute more than 20 percent of China’s total GHG emission.
Status: Standing Still
Despite the release of an official report on emission levels in 2018, the reliability of the data used has no way of being assessed. The government needs to be more transparent in how its emissions data was compiled. There also is a need for data and information related to emission levels of other greenhouse gases in addition to CO2.
Take Action
You can accelerate the improvement of data transparency by sending the following message:
We look forward to seeing the release of the annual carbon emission data report. This will help ensure the transparency and validity ensure the National Bureau of Statistics Report on Carbon Dioxide Emission levels. We also hope the government can release data on the emission levels of other greenhouse gases in addition to CO2.
Send Action Alert Message to:
Lifeng He, the Director of National Development and Reform Commission, through the following website: http://xf.ndrc.gov.cn/xf/addmail.jsp
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