Coastal cities make plans to cap emissions
December 20, 2012 Category Environment, Greenhouse gas emissions
Some cities in East China have started planning how to cap their greenhouse gas emissions, and their experiences will act as an example for other cities, said He Jiankun, Deputy Director of the National Climate Change Expert Committee. Greenhouse gas emissions in some eastern coastal areas are expected to peak at around 2020. However, at this stage, China cannot shoulder absolute emission cuts as it is constrained by its development stage, which is in the middle of urbanization and industrialization, he added. Some developed countries made commitments for absolute emissions, but if that is converted into carbon intensity reduction, between 1990 to 2010, China’s carbon intensity declined by 50%, while that of the developed economies’ declined by 30%, according to He. At the same time, he said it is unsustainable for China’s resource-abundant western regions to replicate the development path of eastern coastal areas, which were heavily reliant on the heavy chemical industry at a high cost to the environment. “How the western regions can explore a low-carbon path is an urgent challenge facing China,” said He. “Reasonable growth rates are important for China, but it has entered into a stage where efficiency and quality of economic development matters more,” He added. “Without shifting to a low-carbon path, it’s difficult for China to build its international competitiveness in the long run,” he concluded.
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