Economic Development in China and the Global Climate Challenge

Running head: CHINA’S ECONOMIC GROWTH AND CLIMATE CHANGE 1
Economic Development in China and the Global Climate Challenge
Student’s name
Institution affiliation

CHINA’S ECONOMIC GROWTH AND CLIMATE CHANGE 2
Economic Development in China and the Global Climate Challenge
The crucial role of china as a primary greenhouse gas emitter has for quite some time
been recognized important in the debate on the mitigation of global climate change. Researchers
continue emphasizing the need for significantly reducing the country’s emissions and its
potential to accomplish this after the Chinese government implements the shift to the
fundamental policy. The policy involves the transition towards reduction in greenhouse gas
emission (Wang, Engels, and Wang, 2017, p. 21). So far, it is becoming increasingly acceptable
that the policy has been in the process of being implemented. The policy appears to be an
outcome of the domestic issue in energy use rather than the direct effect of the international
agreement about climate change. Additionally, the institutional the political, and economic
factors that make china to implement its transitioning towards low-carbon emission, still faces a
poor understanding. Whereas some studies overestimate the implementation and steering
capabilities of the national state in an economy that is ultimately planned, others underestimate
the dynamics in society that help promote the transition at rates that are higher than the ones
experienced in other nations (Wang, K., Wang, C. and Chen, 2009, p. 2937). This paper aims at
evaluating the literature about the barriers and potentials to the transition of china to low carbon
achievement. The paper also explores the literature on the economic development in relation to
the mitigation of climate change through reduced carbon emissions.
 Country chosen is China
 The RSPI (Ranking Social Progress Index) is emission of carbon gases
 Other Index includes the GDP (Gross Domestic Production) and rate of investment

CHINA’S ECONOMIC GROWTH AND CLIMATE CHANGE 3
The global challenge
Climate changes pose threats to the life and healthy lives of human beings. This is
particularly in vulnerable areas of many developing countries where there is no improved
technology of dealing with the effects of a much warmer climate. In climates that are warmer,
the atmosphere collects, retains and also drops more water. This makes areas that are wet to be
wetter and dry areas are made drier. Increase in precipitation is useful as it helps support
agriculture. However, more strong and frequent storms are dangerous as they can damage
infrastructure, as well as loss of life and property in areas that are vulnerable. The United States
has been experiencing many heat waves and less cold wave over the past decades. Global
warming makes ocean waters warmer (Moss et al. 2010, p. 747). This facilitates formation of
hurricanes. Over the past two decades, the tropical storm action in Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean
as well as the Gulf of Mexico has rose in duration, frequency as well as intensity. Attributing a
specific event of weather to global warming has become very difficult to researchers. Scientists
are very confident in that the higher temperatures that are being experienced lead to extreme
weather which is very costly. Global warming is the increase in the average global temperatures.
This phenomenon has been there since the period of industrial revolution. Since the year 1980,
the increased average in global temperatures has reached 0.8 degrees (He, 2016, p. 209).
Global warming is therefore a process that is ongoing. Research has shown that the
average global temperatures will rise to about 0.3-0.7 degrees Celsius by the year 2035 (Wang,
C., Engels, and Wang, Z., 2017, p. 45). There are certain gases in the atmosphere that help in
trapping the heat from the sun. These gases include methane and carbon dioxide. These gases are
referred to as greenhouse gases. They are found naturally in the earth’s atmosphere. They are
helpful in keeping the surface of the earth warm. This warmth is important in sustaining life. An