MARCH 8, 2011: The concept of the low-carbon economy was a hot topic at this year’s “Two Sessions”, a joint meeting between China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Consultative Conference (CPPCC). The implementation of low-carbon economies is a worldwide trend in economic development, and is inevitable for sustainable development.
Some representatives pointed out that China must seize the opportunity to develop a low-carbon economy and that de-carbonization strategies must be implemented while taking China’s national conditions into account. They suggested that China must focus on reducing energy consumption and emissions, as well as altering its development mode; specifically adjusting its industrial practices.
A low-carbon economy is an economic model focused on low emissions, low energy consumption, and low pollution. It can be facilitated by innovation in energy technology and pollution mitigation, as well as a changing industrial structure. In order to develop a low-carbon economy in China, reducing energy consumption is the top priority. During the “Two Sessions,” The China Zhi Gong Dang Central Committee said in a written statement that China faces challenges in developing a low-carbon economy, namely that low-carbon development strategies have thus far failed to include recycling, the difficulty in implementing cleaner production processes as well as environmental management systems, the challenge of reducing energy consumption, and the lack of co-ordination between urban development and industrial development.
At this stage, energy saving should be the focus of the development of China’s low-carbon economy. China is still in the industrialization and urbanization process, and faces sharp increases in energy demand. The coal-dominated energy structure will be hard to change, but energy saving is still a crucial starting point, as a large proportion of China’s industrial structure is made up of energy intensive, high-emission industries. The development of low-carbon industries is also paramount in order to reduce China’s carbon footprint, reduce energy consumption, and reduce pollution, all of which will help to reduce developmental pressure on energy, resources, and the environment.