GAO Guangsheng

1
Policies and Measures of China on Climate Change
Mitigation under the Framework of Sustainable
Development

• GAO Guangsheng
• Office of National Coordination Committee on
  Climate Change,
• National Development and Reform Commission of
  P.R. China
• Nov. 15, 2006

The 2nd Workshop of Dialogue on Long-term
Cooperative Action
2
Introduction

• Climate change is one of the key concerns of the
  international community. Climate change, both as
  an environmental issue and development issue,
  falls in the category of development in the final
  analysis
• Tackle the challenges of climate change in joint
  efforts through dialogue and cooperation has
  become the consensus of international community

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Introduction

• Actively addressing climate change and enhancing
  sustainable development are not only the
  requirements of implementing the UNFCCC, but also
  the requirements of carrying out the scientific
  concept of development in China
• Advancing the sustainable development in full
  scale and effectively controlling GHG emissions
  are the key measures of China to carry out its
  basic national policies on resource-conserving
  and environmental protection and to ensure
  national security.

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The National Circumstances of China

• Huge temperature differences between seasons/days
• Chinas climate is characterized by the distinct
  continental monsoon climate. Comparing with North
  U.S. and the Western Europe, the temperature
  difference in most regions in China is greater
  than that in the regions of the same latitude. In
  order to maintain a comfortable indoor
  temperature, more energy is required.

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The National Circumstances of China
2. Increasing amount of economic loss caused by
climate disasters
Economic Loss
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The National Circumstances of China

• 3. Huge population high employment pressure
• By the end of 2005, the total population in
  Mainland China was 1.31 billion, accounting for
  22 of the world total
• 43 of the total population live in cities/towns,
  750 M people still live in villages
• Every year, 10 M new employment opportunities
  need to be created in cities/towns, and about 10
  M people living in countryside move to
  cities/towns to find job.

Total Population (100 million)
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The National Circumstances of China

• 4. Low level of economic development
• The GDP per capita of China in 2005 was USD 1,714
  (based on exchange rate of that year), only ¼ of
  the world average
• By the end of 2005, the annual per capita income
  of 23.65 million people living in villages was
  less than 683 RMB (USD 83).

Comparison of GDPs per Capita between China and
the World average in 2004
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The National Circumstances of China

• 5. Coal-dominated energy mix
• The primary energy consumption in 2005 was about
  1,563 million toe, among which 68.9 came from
  coal consumption
• In 2005, coal accounted for 27.8 of the worlds
  primary energy consumption.

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The National Circumstances of China
Comparison of per capita energy consumptions
between China and the world average in 2004

• 6. Low per capita energy consumption
• In 2005, the commercial energy consumption per
  capita was about 1.2 toe, equal to 2/3 of world
  average and ¼ of the OECD countries.

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The National Circumstances of China

• 7. The CO2 emission per capita of China is lower
  than that of the world average
• In 2004, the CO2 emission per capita of China
  from fossil fuel utilization was 3.65 tons, equal
  to 87 of the world average and 33 of the OECD
  countries.

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Efforts of China to Mitigate Climate Change

• 1. Formulation and implementation of sustainable
  development strategy
• The Government of China issued the sustainable
  development strategy of China in 1994 - China
  Agenda 21
• In 1996, the idea of sustainable development was
  taken as an important guiding principle as well
  as a strategic goal for social and economic
  development
• In 2003, the Government of China formulated the
  Program of Action for Sustainable Development in
  China in the Early 21st Century.

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Efforts of China to Mitigate Climate Change

• 2. Adoption of a series of policies/measures
  favorable to climate change mitigation
• In January 1998, the Energy Conservation Law of
  China entered into force
• In June 2003, the State Council issued the
  Decision on Promoting the Development of
  Forestry
• In February 2005, the National Peoples Congress
  reviewed and approved the Renewable Energy Law
• In August 2006, the State Council issued the
  Decision on Strengthening Energy Conservation.

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Efforts of China to Mitigate Climate Change

• 3. Improve energy efficiency and energy
  conservation
• Energy use per 10K RMB Yuan GDP decreased from
  1.88 toe in 1990 to 1 toe in 2005 (2000 price) at
  the rate of 4.1 per annum.

toe/10,000 RMB
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Efforts of China to Mitigate Climate Change

• In 15 years, the accumulated energy saving adds
  up to 560Mtoe, equal to 1.8bt CO2 emission
  reductions.

Comparison of CO2 per unit GDP of China and the
world
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Efforts of China to Mitigate Climate Change

• 4. Develop low carbon energy and renewable
  energy, improve energy structure
• The percentage of coal in primary energy
  consumption dropped from 76.2 in 1990 to 68.9
  in 2005
• By 2005, RE utilization reached 116M toe (incl.
  large hydro), accounting for 7.5 of total
  consumption, equal to 380Mt CO2 emission
  reductions.

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Efforts of China to Mitigate Climate Change

• 4. Develop low carbon energy and renewable
  energy, improve energy structure
• By 2005, hydropower installed capacity reached
  117GW, accounting for 23 of the total
• Household biogas over 17 M, annual biogas
  production 6.5bm3
• Biomass power generation capacity 2GW
• Grid connected wind power capacity 1.26GW
• PV capacity 70MW, solar heater collector 85Mm2
• Renewable CDM projects account for 90 of the
  total approved CDM projects.

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Efforts of China to Mitigate Climate Change

• 5. Carry out forestation and increase forest
  coverage
• Forestation 54Mh, storage 1.5bm3, ranking No. 1
  in the world
• Forest coverage from 13.92 in early 1990s to
  18.21 in 2005
• Estimated net sink 3 billion CO2 between 1980 and
  2005.

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Policies and Measures on Climate Change
Mitigation in China

• 1. Principles
• Addressing climate change within the framework of
  sustainable development
• Equal importance of mitigation and adaptation
• Integration of climate policy into other relevant
  policies
• Reliance on technological progress and
  innovation
• Common but differentiated responsibilities
• Active participation and broad cooperation.

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Policies and Measures on Climate Change
Mitigation in China

• 2. General objective
• Considerable GHG emission reduction
• Enhancement of adaptation capacity
• New progress on scientific research on climate
  change
• Considerable improvement of public awareness
• Further institution development.

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Policies and Measures on Climate Change
Mitigation in China

• 3. Main targets of sustainable development in
  China for the 11th Five-Year Plan period
• Energy intensity drop by around 20
• Total population 1.36 billion
• Total cultivated land 120Mh
• Total main pollutants emission drop by 10
• Forest coverage 20.

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Policies and Measures on Climate Change
Mitigation in China

• 4. Promote 10 key energy conservation projects
• Renovation of coal-fired industrial boilers
• District CHP
• Waste heat and pressure utilization
• Oil conservation and switching
• Motor system conservation
• Energy system optimization
• Building energy conservation
• Green-lighting
• Energy conservation in government agencies
• Energy saving monitoring and technical service.
• Estimated energy saving 170Mtoe, equal to 550 Mt
  CO2 reduction.

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Policies and Measures on Climate Change
Mitigation in China

• 5. Develop hydropower together with ecological
  protection
• Hydropower is a key measure towards a low carbon
  energy structure
• Together with environmental protection and
  migration, develop and use hydropower resources
  in a rational manner
• Accelerate the development of hydropower and
  small hydro based on local conditions.
• Estimated CO2 reduction 560Mt by the end of 2010.

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Policies and Measures on Climate Change
Mitigation in China

• 6. Promote nuclear power
• Nuclear energy is a key element in national
  energy strategy
• Guideline self-sufficient, international
  cooperation, technology introduction, domestic
  built
• Common technology route and adoption of advanced
  technologies
• Achievement of domestic development and
  production of large scale unit.
• Estimated GHG emission reduction 60Mt CO2 by
  2010.

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Policies and Measures on Climate Change
Mitigation in China

• 7. Optimize thermal power development
• Develop 600MW supercritical (ultra-supercritical)
  units
• Start the IGCC power station project
• Develop natural gas power generation
• Acceleration of the elimination of small
  coal-fired power generators
• Strengthen power grid construction.
• Estimated GHG emission reduction 110 Mt CO2 by
  2010.

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Policies and Measures on Climate Change
Mitigation in China

• 8. Vigorously promote coal-bed methane
  utilization
• Coal-bed methane investigation, development and
  utilization should be adopted as important
  instruments to expedite the structural
  optimization of coal industry, reduce coal mining
  accidents, improve resources utilization
  efficiency and prevent environmental pollution.
• Exempt or partly exempt coal bed methane projects
  from utilization fees for prospecting and mining
  rights
• Adopt preferential tax policies for coal bed
  methane projects
• Encourage coal bed methane CDM projects.
• Estimated GHG emission reductions 210 Mt CO2 by
  2010.

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Policies and Measures on Climate Change
Mitigation in China

• 9. Promote the development of bio-energy
• Vigorously promote biomass energy development and
  utilization with key focus on biomass power
  generation, marsh gas, biomass briquette and
  biomass liquid fuel
• Formulate economic policies and measures in favor
  of bio-ethanol and other biomass fuels.
• Estimated GHG emission reduction 30 Mt CO2 by
  2010.

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Policies and Measures on Climate Change
Mitigation in China

• 10. Actively support the development and
  utilization of wind, solar, geothermal and tidal
  energy
• Together with the development and construction of
  large scale wind power plants, to
• Actively develop photovoltaic and solar heating
  utilization
• Actively promote the development and utilization
  of geothermal and tidal energy.
• Estimated GHG emission reductions 70 Mt CO2 by
  2010.

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Policies and Measures on Climate Change
Mitigation in China

• 11. Attach importance to the control of GHG
  emissions from agriculture sector
• Through the promotion of semi-dry rice
  cultivation technology, scientific irrigation,
  research and development of technologies, to
• Breed fine ruminant varieties
• Improve management practices for intensive
  livestock operations
• Further promote straw treatment technology
• Enhance/refine the technologies for
  household-type biogas digesters and
• Control the growth rate of methane emissions.

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Policies and Measures on Climate Change
Mitigation in China

• 12. Strengthen carbon sinks
• Through the continuous implementation of policies
  and measures and the Priority Programs of
  Ecological Conservation such as the conservation
  of natural forest resources, converting
  cultivated land back to forest or grassland, etc.
  to achieve a forest coverage rate of 20 and an
  increase in carbon sink by about 50 Mt CO2
  compared with that in 2005 by the end of 2010.

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Chinas Needs for International Cooperation on
Climate Change

• 1. Effective implementation of Article 4.7 of the
  UNFCCC is key to improve the developing
  countries capacity to mitigate climate change
• Article 4.7 stipulates that The extent to which
  developing country Parties will effectively
  implement their commitments under the Convention
  will depend on the effective implementation by
  developed country Parties of their commitments
  under the Convention related to financial
  resources and transfer of technology and will
  take fully into account that economic and social
  development and poverty eradication are the first
  and overriding priorities of the developing
  country Parties.

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Chinas Needs for International Cooperation on
Climate Change

• 2. Concrete and effective international
  cooperation is a must to realize the
  aforementioned objectives and tasks
• The main objectives of Chinas 11th five-year
  plan presented under the framework of sustainable
  development are very ambitious and arduous
• To realize these objectives, not only Chinas own
  efforts, but also the support from international
  society on finance and advanced technologies are
  required.

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Chinas Needs for International Cooperation on
Climate Change

• 3. Major needs for mitigation technologies
• Advanced energy and manufacturing technologies
• Environmental protection and comprehensive
  utilization of resources technologies
• Highly efficient transportation technologies
• New material technologies
• New building material technologies.

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Chinas Needs for International Cooperation on
Climate Change

• 4. Major needs for capacity building
• Basic studies/research on climate change,
  analysis of mitigation policies, IT construction,
  CDM project management, etc.
• Development of statistics system that meets the
  requirements of GHG inventory preparation
• Necessary field measurement data to determine
  emission factors
• QA/QC of GHG inventories
• GHG emissions projection
• Development of national GHG inventory database.

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Conclusion

• In order to effectively respond to climate
  change, China, through active dialogues,
  effective and concrete cooperation with the
  international community and relevant countries,
  is willing to make new contributions to the
  protection of the global climate system while
  achieving economic development
• We appeal to developed country Parties to fulfill
  their commitments on providing financial and
  technological support to developing country
  Parties to enhance the developing country
  Parties capacity in responding to climate change
  in accordance with the Convention.

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Thanks!