China Promises to Greatly Reduce Carbon Emissions per Unit of GDP

On 25 November 2009, Wen Jiabao, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China presided over a State Council Standing Committee Conference which made plans for initiatives to combat climate change and decided on targets for the control of greenhouse gases emissions by 2020. The meeting also put forward corresponding policy measures and actions.

The conference held that addressing climate change properly has a bearing on China’s overall economic and social development, the core interests of the people as well as the well-being and long-term development of people all over the world. It said that as a responsible developing country, China maintains that the international community should work together to jointly address climate change through effective international cooperation. It further went on to say that China will adhere to the basic framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol, remain committed to the principle of common but differentiated responsibility, strictly follow the authorization of the Bali Road Map, strengthen the comprehensive, effective and sustainable implementation of UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol, give overall consideration to mitigation, adaptation, technology transfer and financial support and promote the success of the Copenhagen Summit.

It was noted that at the recent United Nations Climate Change Summit, President Hu Jintao made clear China’s position on the issue of climate change to the international community on behalf of the Chinese Government, and explicitly put forward China’s major measures in response to climate change. The NPC Standing Committee has made a resolution on tackling climate change actively. China’s position and proposition have been fully understood and widely accepted by the international community.

The conference pointed out that China has always attached great importance to climate change, that it is committed to the path of sustainable development. It has developed a national program to address climate change on the basis of national conditions and the reality in China, and is actively promoting economic and industrial restructuring, optimizing energy structure, implementing policy measures of encouraging energy saving and improving energy efficiency, continuously increasing R&D investment in response to climate change, making efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhancing forest carbon sinks and improving the adaptability. In this regard, China has achieved positive results.

The conference pointed out that facing the serious challenge of climate change, China must thoroughly implement rational concepts of development, adopt more robust policy measures and actions to accelerate the change in development mode, make efforts to control greenhouse gas emissions and develop a resource-saving and environmentally-friendly society. The conference decided that by 2020 China will cut its carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 40%-45% over the levels in 2005. As a binding indicator, this target will be incorporated into mid-term and long-term plans for national economic and social development. The conference also decided to develop appropriate method for internal statistics, monitoring and evaluation. The conference also decided that by 2020 the percentage of non-fossil energy in primary energy consumption will rise to about 15% by vigorously developing renewable energy resources and actively promoting nuclear power. Moreover, through reforestation and strengthening forest management, forest area will increase more than 40 million hectares and the forest reserves will increase by 1.3 billion cubic meters by the year 2020 in comparison to 2005. This is a voluntary action taken by the Chinese government based on its own national conditions. It represents a huge effort by China to address global climate change.

The conference stressed that China is at a crucial stage of its initiatives to develop an affluent society, and in an important stage of accelerated industrialization and urbanization. The task of developing the economy and improving the livelihood of the people is an arduous one. China has a large population, and its level of economic development still lags. Contradictions in China’s economic structure are still prominent. Its energy structure is dominated by coal, and energy demand will continue to grow. China is confronted with great pressure and special difficulties in controlling greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, it will take enormous efforts to achieve the targets stated above.

The meeting called for work to address climate change to be based on the promotion of scientific development and the enhancing of ecological civilization, whereby, economic development and environmental protection should be coordinated, domestic and international situations should be coordinated and real needs and long-term interests should be coordinated. We should regard addressing climate change as a major national strategy for economic and social development. We should enhance R&D and industrial investment in low-carbon and zero carbon technologies such as conservation technologies, energy efficiency technologies, clean coal, renewable energy, advanced nuclear power and carbon capture and storage. We should accelerate the construction of low-carbon industrial, building and transportation systems. We should prepare supporting laws, regulations and standards, improve policy measures on finance, taxation, prices, financing, and enhance management systems and supervision and implementation mechanisms. We should strengthen international cooperation, effectively introduce, digest and absorb foreign advanced low-carbon and climate-friendly technologies to improve our ability to address climate change. We should enhance social awareness of climate change and accelerate the formation of low-carbon green lifestyles and consumption modes. (Source: website of the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China)