Economic Development in China and the Global Climate Challenge

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.

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

CHINA’S ECONOMIC GROWTH AND CLIMATE CHANGE 4
additional carbon dioxide is released in the atmosphere from various sources particularly human
activities. They include burning fossil fuel like natural gas and oil, as well as coal. The fossil fuel
is applied as power in home, factories as well as vehicles. There are also other human activities
like livestock rearing that make the levels of methane in the atmosphere to rise. When the
concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere goes higher, more heat is trapped on earth.
This causes a rise in the global temperatures that is manmade. Moreover, measuring economic
growth by the investment rate index, that exceeded 35% towards 40% of GDP from 1980 to
2003 (Fankhauser, 2013, p. 34). China has done tremendous development in the industry
increased energy consumption. In the country is a long term relationship between energy
consumption and GDP per capita as indicated by the high carbon emission. The growth in
economy of east China dependent on energy to a great extent, and relies on energy consumption
more than the west side of China.
Introduction to Chinese case study
China has been noted to be among the world’s greatest emitters of these gases on top of
them being the major economies. Various global climate change mitigation agreements such as
the Kyoto protocol of 1990 and the Paris agreement of 2015 have been formed to act as a plea
and call on the international states to join the treaty and campaign against carbon emission and
find a common solution to the climate change issue. China has been a member of these two
treaties with its efforts to join the international fight against climate change since 1990 (Spash,
2014, p. 33). Kyoto 1 achieved very high levels of conformity when the Annex B nations met
their targets of mitigating the emissions during the first five-year interval. At the same time,
when Kyoto 1 met its expiry date in 2012, the global emissions were approximated to be higher
by 50% that they were during the baseline year of Kyoto i.e. 1990 (Tol, 2009, p. 41).

CHINA’S ECONOMIC GROWTH AND CLIMATE CHANGE 5
The objectives of the protocol are expected to be met in 2020. In 2015, United Nations’
framework parties held a conference involving the climate change convention in Paris, of France.
The convention was known as the Paris agreement. The key objective was to achieve the new
global emission agreement on carbon reduction that is legally binding and applicable under the
convention framework. This agreement was to determine, how the international community
would share the responsibility in dealing with climate change and fulfill the Kyoto Protocol
objectives set to be achieved in 2020 (Floater, et al. 2014, p. 12). Controlling carbon gas
emissions topped the agendas in the meeting. It aimed to achieve the goals set in the 2009
Copenhagen climate conference of reaching a pact in curbing global warming. It was also to
ensure that international temperatures fall below 2 degrees (Zhang, and Cheng, 2009, p. 2709).
Way before this agreement, China had actively contributed towards climate change
mitigation. By 2015, China submitted a formal proposal for national active contribution to the
United Nations. It was to reach the end of carbon dioxide emission by 2030 as well as striving to
reduce the GDP (gross domestic product) achieved through carbon dioxide emission from 60%
and below that of 2005. The use of non-fossil energy as a proportion of total energy
consumption was about 20% then (Ding, et al. 2010, p. 167). Currently, the country has a plan to
have its forested land volume increased by 4.5 billion meters cubed against that of 2005
(Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2015, p.2). Additionally, the Chinese government
puts a serious action against the climate change above its five-year plan of development, on the
international level.
The key transition
China has experienced 30 years of increased economic growth, but of late, the rate of
growth has slowed down. The growth rate in GDP fell to 7.7% by 2013 hitting the lowest levels

CHINA’S ECONOMIC GROWTH AND CLIMATE CHANGE 6
since the Asian financial crisis of 1997 (Ding, et al. 2010, p. 167). Though the country expects to
grow its economy to 8% in the next few years, there is fear that it might experience a fall in the
rate of growth to 5% by 2030 (Anenberg, et al. 2011, p. 7259). Based on studies involving the
economic development in relation to the fight against climate change, the two seem to cross
paths. The ultimate economic growth goals involve expanding human freedom as well as
providing a safer, cleaner and better earth for the present as well as future generations. China’s
economy has the potential for 50% growth within the next 15 years however; the risk of climate
change and environmental damage cast a shadow on the prospect for any long term growth (Fei,
et al. 2011, p.571). In this time, the country can be the largest economy of the world a fact which
poses a major challenge in the fight against climate change.
Air pollution in China is quite severe and is becoming a constraint to the country’s social
and economic development. The significant characteristic involves high concentration of (PM)
particulate matter that leads to increased smog in most regions. The Pearl river delta, the yangtze
river delta, and the Jing-Jin-Ji region are the most polluted regions. Coal burning is responsible
for PM 2.5 in these areas with productions reaching between 50% and 70% (Song, and Lu, 2009,
p. 21). The targets for quality air have been achievable through the combination of accelerated
energy conservation, environmental policy, economic restructuring and fuel switching. China has
so far tried to apply emission reduction and energy conservation measures in the named regions.
Other methods include the end-of-pipe measures of treatment in tackling the problem of air
pollution. Most Chinese cities have the challenge of meeting the air quality standards by 2030, as
set in the Paris agreement.
The transition in broad perspective

CHINA’S ECONOMIC GROWTH AND CLIMATE CHANGE 7
China has been undergoing industrialization process as its key effort of urbanization. The
country has since the onset of the fight against climate change, been involved in a transition in
energy consumption and productivity through increase in renewable energy and energy
efficiency development. However, the country’s rapid growth in economy makes it overly
dependent on the use of fossil fuels (Zhang, and Cheng, 2009, p. 2709). Besides the nation being
among the largest producers of renewable energy, it is also among the largest fossil fuel
importers. The country has a working energy conservation policy that seeks to reduce emissions
regardless of the country depending on coal for industrial production. The country has been
fighting the challenge of overlooking its economic growth goals and the carbon reduction goals
which seem to cross each other. The transition in the country has been noted in three
perspectives.
a. The energy system transition
The country has found out that clean coal technologies offers an appropriate means of
balancing between reduced carbon emission in the country and economic development. Of the
various technologies, CCS (carbon capture and storage) which captures 90% of CO2 emissions
that come from the fossil fuel usage during the production of electricity and industrial processes
and harbor them from getting to the atmosphere (Floater, et al. 2014, p. 12). The technology has
also been used alongside renewable biomass as an abatement technology that is applied in the
carbon negative mode that takes carbon out of the environment. The technology involves three
processes that include carbon dioxide capture, carbon dioxide transporting and carbon dioxide
emission secure storage in depleted gas and oil fields or in formations of deep saline aquifers
underground.
b. Energy efficient industrial development

CHINA’S ECONOMIC GROWTH AND CLIMATE CHANGE 8
China has taken the initiative to improve energy efficiency through the shift from energy
mix towards the generation of green investments (Tol, 2009, p. 41). Specific industries have been
required to adopt the technologies that promote the pathways supporting low-carbon production.
Management strategies needed to be identified in support of the transition in the short and long
terms.
c. Low-carbon cities
In its effort to undergo industrialization through urbanization, the country has been
involved in the development and construction of low-carbon cities (Spash, 2014, p. 33). The
process requires that all companies try to shift from technologies that emit a lot of greenhouse
gases to those that encourage green energy. The cities would make use of green energy sources
for its running such as solar energy and other renewable sources.
Lessons learnt
From the case study, it is obvious that the economy growth of china depends entirely in
the use of fossil fuels as the main sources of energy. These fuels increase carbon emissions in the
atmosphere. The country on the same note, tries to support the international agreements on
climate change mitigation like the Kyoto protocol and Paris agreement (Fankhauser, 2013, p.
34). China has undergone a transition from being one of the largest emitter of carbon gases to the
fight against climate change. The transition involves the shift from the reliance of fossil fuels
towards renewable sources of energy such as green energy that includes solar. The process
involves the energy system transition, low carbon cities and energy efficient industrial
development.

CHINA’S ECONOMIC GROWTH AND CLIMATE CHANGE 9
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