China Launches World Leading Report on Low-carbon Economy Development

Beijing, 13 November 2009 - China has much to gain from taking an early start in the development of a low-carbon economy and should seriously consider carbon intensity targets in its next 5-year plan. That is the conclusion of a report presented to the Annual General Meeting of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), chaired by Li Keqiang, vice premier, in Beijing yesterday and to Premier Wen Jiabao today.

A task force of Chinese and international experts drawn from governments, the private sector, non-governmental organizations and think tanks has developed the low-carbon road map proposed for inclusion in the 12th five-year plan (2011-2016).

As co-chair of the CCICED Low Carbon Economy taskforce, Bjorn Stigson said: “It seems the ‘green race is on'. With this report and others by the CCICED, China is leading the world in analyzing in detail what would be required to make a shift to a low-carbon economy.”

The proposals of the Low Carbon Economy taskforce are partly based on a set of energy scenarios produced by the Chinese Energy Research Institute. Drawing on five pillars (energy, urbanization, industrial restructuring, innovation and land-use change), the report outlines specific recommendations to put China on a path that will reduce energy consumption per unit of GDP by 75-85% by 2050. If implemented in the short term, that is within the 12th 5-year plan, carbon emissions per unit of gross domestic product could drop by 20-23% or possibly more.

Dr. Feng Fei: Director General, Development Research Center of the State Council of China, remarked on behalf of the Chinese co-chair: “Our analysis shows that shifting China towards a low-carbon economy also brings with it large opportunities, not only costs.”

Sir Gordon Conway, international co-chair of the taskforce, said: “The process of a low-carbon development fits well with President Hu Jintao's concept of ‘a scientific outlook on development', and contributes to his vision of realizing a ‘harmonious civilization'.”

Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, added: “With this report, China is at the cutting edge of developing concrete analytical pathways towards low-carbon development.”