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Xu Kuangdi, the former mayor of Shanghai, discussed China’s action on climate change. Efforts to develop circular economies, reduce energy intensity, and increase the share of nuclear and renewable energy are underway. Douglas Paal moderated the event.
Global Position
Over the past eight years, global greenhouse emissions have risen by one-third, and China is responsible for two-thirds of that increase. In 2007 China surpassed the United States as the world’s leading emitter of greenhouse gases, thanks to its growing GDP and increasing levels of urbanization. China’s per capita emissions, although rising, remain much lower than those of OECD countries.
China embraces an international model of common but differentiated responsibility, which emphasizes the shared but varying responsibilities of developed and developing countries, and sees several areas for cooperation with other countries, including working with the United States on new coal technologies.
Traditional Models of Development
Traditionally, the process of development results in an increase in energy use, energy intensity (energy use per unit of GDP), and pollution. Only after a certain level of development is obtained does energy intensity begin to fall again. China’s energy intensity has already begun to fall, but unless rapid action is taken, this trend is likely to reverse as personal car ownership increases across the country: in order to maintain the traditional development model, China may have to make some very untraditional energy choices.
Domestic Efforts
China has put in place several domestic policies that address climate change from a development perspective, most of which focus on diversifying its energy supply sources and decreasing energy intensity. Increasingly, local and provincial leaders are being asked to focus on both environmental impact and economic development, although China continues to view climate change and energy as primarily social development issues, not environmental issues. Areas of focus include:
- Energy Efficiency: Energy savings could come from reducing end-user consumption of energy, designing buildings that require less energy per square meter, and investing in new technologies such as LED lighting. In the transportation sector, a focus on promoting public transportation would help reduce emissions.
- Clean Coal Energy: Both the United States and China have large supplies of domestic coal that they use to generate a substantial portion of their electricity. There is space for cooperation between the two nations, particularly in respect to high-efficiency combustion technologies.
- Nuclear Energy: China is working to develop nuclear power along its eastern coast, a heavily populated area that lacks local fossil fuel resources. In 2007, 1.2 percent of China’s electric power came from nuclear sources. It aims to reach 5 percent by 2020 and 10 percent by 2030.
- Renewable Energy: Efforts are already underway to accelerate the development of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind. However, because these intermittent sources often require energy storage technologies, such as batteries or pumped storage, some calculations suggest they will have higher carbon emissions per kWh than nuclear power. Additionally, they are still more expensive than traditional energy sources. China is developing its relatively high solar potential for both electricity generation and water heating, and is looking into exploiting its geothermal resources. The further development of hydropower is being debated because of concerns about the cost and environmental impact, particularly with regards to fish stocks.
- Developing a Circular Economy: Efforts to create systems that are circular rather than linear are underway. Several facilities have been developed, including a coal mine in Shanxi province, a cement plant in Beijing, a steel-making plant whose waste products are used to generate electricity and make cement, and an ultra-clean process for recycling used PET plastic bottles into new PET plastic bottles.
