China Country Reports
The Effect of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine on China’s Climate Policy and Practices
The relationship between China and Russia has been under scrutiny by many since Russia marched its army into Ukraine some weeks ago. China appears to be standing with Russia against much criticism from many in the global community. Russia speaks of reinforced friendship and strong relationships between the two countries. At first glance, this may…
China: Climate Progress Report
Indicator: Energy Output of Coal (monthly, quarterly, and annually) Renewable Energy Output (monthly, quarterly, and annually) Air and Water Quality Data (Daily) Gross Ecological Product (measurement still in process) Energy security while transitioning to low-carbon energy provision continues to be the number one priority of the Chinese government. The most recently released “Opinions on Improving…
Climate Justice in China
HIGHLIGHTS Climate change hits urban and rural areas equally “Climate poverty” affects at-risk agricultural communities and communities dependent on the ecological health of their water bodies Groups of affected people are highly diverse and can be found in all parts of China Minority ethnic groups, such as Tibetan and Uighurs, also have access to the…
China: The 2021 Climate Year in Review
HIGHLIGHTS Adoption of 14th Five Year Plan, a Development Model Promoting Advanced Clean Technologies, that Pollute Less and Save Energy Roll Out of Emissions Trading Program Extreme Weather Patterns in China’s Hinterland Trigger Greater Emphasis on Developing Climate Adaptation and Resilience Programs Commitment to End All Financing of Coal-Based Power Plants Outside of China China Submits Revised…
Climate Mitigation Strategic Priorities for China
Priorities Nationwide programs to identify the impact of closing polluting industries such as coal mines, coal-fired power plants etc. on the livelihood of affected workers Designing the necessary training and reskilling programs to support workers’ transition into new jobs or encourage entrepreneurship Policy or legislation should be developed to steer and enable regional and local…
Climate Scorecard Progress Report for China
This report is in the form of memos from Climate Scorecard Country Managers to Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework to Combat Climate Change (UNFCCC). Below is a description of the progress the country has made made in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015 and the…
China to Close CO2 Emissions Tracking Gap to Achieve 2030 and 2060 Climate Goals with Establishment of Carbon Emissions Statistical Accounting Working Group
Best Organizational Sources: Carbon Emissions Statistical Tracking Group; The Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE); The Energy Administration; Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs At the end of August 2021, China’s National Development and Reform Commission and National Bureau of Statistics set up a Carbon Emission Statistical Accounting Working Group with the target to…
China Is Getting Hotter and Wetter in Both Urban and Coastal Areas
China continues to get hotter and wetter, troublingly not just along the coastal cities used to annual typhoons. Flooding caused by torrential rains and typhoons have started to increasingly hit China’s inland and Northern cities. In July, torrential rains unloading the equivalent of a year’s worth of rainfall in just three days caused major flooding…
After Two Decades of Stalled Development, China to Ramp up Nuclear Power Development
Nuclear power has played a relatively minor role in China’s overall primary energy strategy over the past two decades. While nuclear power has risen from roughly 1% of total primary energy supply in China at the beginning of the 2000s, it hovers around 4% today. China prioritized natural gas, oil, hydro, and even wind and…
Divergent Central and Local Government Interests May Impede Implementation of China’s Climate Targets
Central planning vs. local sustainable implementation At the end of 2020, China officially pledged to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and to become carbon neutral in 2060, a decade later than other regions, like the EU. A concrete roadmap on how to achieve this transition, however, has not yet been published. And while the…
While GHG Levels Keep Rising With Increasing Industrial Activity in China, Carbon Intensity Has Been On Continuous Downward Trajectory
Current GHG Emissions China’s most recent data on Greenhouse Gas emissions, or most concretely on carbon dioxide emissions, is covered by a number of databases. A wide variety of databases follow greenhouse gas emissions developments in China. Their data for 2019 CO2 and CO2 equivalent (CO2e) emissions range from 11,535.20 – 13,553 MtCO2e/year, compared to…
Spotlight: Shenzhen has Transformed to One of China’s Cities with the Lowest Air Pollution Rate
In 2010, the Chinese government designated Shenzhen, a city of about 13 million inhabitants in the south of China, to be among 11 provinces and cities to develop and pilot low-carbon solutions for industry, transport, renewable energy, construction, consumption and ecology. China’s government uses pilot projects to spur low-carbon urbanization, and designated locations must prepare…
The Chinese Government as Solar Power Entrepreneur and the Examples of Suntech and Longi Green Energy Technology Company
Geopolitical interests drive creation of solar energy leaders Over the past 20 years China has emerged as the world leader in solar energy technology. At the end of 2019, China’s total installed capacity of solar PV power made up 204 GW of energy. Government investment into solar panel producers, subsidies, and access to government bank…
Recommendations for Climate Mitigation in China: A Community-Based Employment and Development Program
Recommendation # 1: A Community-Based Employment and Development Program Program Recommendation # 2: A Clean-Tech Funding and Consulting Program for Small and Mid-sized Companies President Xi’s bold commitment to make China carbon-neutral by 2060 during the UN Climate summit in 2020 raised hopes that the world’s largest carbon emitting country will finally take the necessary…
Electricity Consumption and Renewable Usage Have Increased in China While Steady Energy Intensity Has Decreased
Figures for China’s electricity consumption and the energy mix behind it differ across various relevant monitors. The International Energy Agency states China’s electricity consumption for 2018 was roughly 6.833 Terawatt Hours (TWh)—an increase of nearly 1079% since 1990. Coal-generated and hydro-generated electricity made up the largest proportion of the country’s energy usage, followed by wind…
China’s CO2 Emissions Have Been Constantly Increasing Over the Past Two Decades With a Steep Increase of 3.4% From 2018-2019
Recently Reported Greenhouse Gas Emissions Level: 9,528.21 Megatons in 2018 Compared to 2088.85 Megatons in 1990 (IEA) 9,825.8 Megatons in 2019 Compared to 2,323.8 Megatons in 1990 (IEA) 11,535.20 Megatons in 2019 Compared to 2,404.74 Megatons in 1990 (EDGAR)Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reports for China vary in numbers but are unified in that they cover…
China Pledges to be Carbon Neutral by 2060
China surprised the world in September with a pledge to take further action in combating climate change and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. The first pledge was made to leaders of the European Union mid-September, then reiterated in President Xi’s speech to the UN General Assembly. Neither announcement provided any details as to how carbon…
Chinese Academy of Sciences and Others Lead Climate Research in China
In China, climate change and environmental pollution mitigation research has been playing an increasingly important role, especially since 2012 when President Xi formalized the concept of “ecological civilization”. Numerous organizations are conducting research into the environmental effects of economic development. They can be divided into four categories: Government-funded think tanks which research informs macro socio-economic…
China Leads Green Jobs in Renewable Energy Sector / 国在可再生能源领域引领绿色就业潮流
Green jobs have been on China’s agenda since 2006, when it became one of the first member countries to collaborate with the International Labor Organization (ILO) in conducting research on and formulating measures to create green jobs. Since then, China has prioritized green development, e.g. energy efficiency in industry, transportation, and buildings; development of wind,…
Climate Justice in China
China is home to 55 ethnic minorities. While many live in rural areas affected by poverty and lack of employment opportunity, environmental or climate (in)justices are not exclusive to them. The divide of who suffers from environmental pollution runs along income and rural-urban lines. And China sees itself internationally as a victim of climate injustices…
Energy Reforms Are Needed to Support Increased Use of New Electric Vehicles in China
In post-COVID-19 pandemic efforts to revive the economy, China’s government has so far – unlike other countries – resisted issuing a large stimulus package. Instead, the current stimulus measures amount to 2 trillion RMB – split into government bonds and financial relief measures – are targeted at spurring innovative technologies and consumption to stabilize employment…
China Imposes Temporary Ban on All Wildlife Trade and Consumption after COVID-19 / 后疫情时代,中国实行临时禁令:禁止任何形式的野生动物交易及消费
In 2020, China was to host the 15th UN Conference on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Kunming, capital of the southern Yunnan Province. China is considered to be one of 17 global mega-biodiversity countries with 10% of all plant species and 14% of all animal species on earth. The conference was to be a milestone for…
Climate Mitigation and Environmental Protection Policies Continue Unabated in China Despite COVID-19 / 新冠疫情下,应对气候变化和环境保护政策不停摆
While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to claim victims across the globe, China is gradually reducing the drastic measures that shut down much of the economy and stranded millions of workers at home, unable to get back to their workplace after the Chinese New Year. While crucial production remained operating on reduced holiday schedules, other economic…
Mixed Results from China’s Energy Reform Efforts
Several policy documents laying out plans for an energy sector reform have been issued since 2014. Among them are China’s National Climate Plan, China’s Nationally Determined Contributions and the 13th 5-Year Plan on Energy Reform (13th Energy FYP). They will all have to stand scrutiny as to their target achievement by the end of 2020….