China Energy Outlook 2020 - Flipbook - Page 62
Key Energy-Related Policies and Programs: National and Subnational
The six national and three subnational policies and programs covered here are quite
comprehensive, aiming to reduce energy intensity and cap energy use across China’s provinces,
to establish energy use quotas and trading, to set energy efficiency standards for nearly 100
energy-consuming products, to identify and acknowledge best energy-efficiency performers, to
start emissions trading, to meet air pollution reduction targets, and to establish low carbon
cities across the country. Table 2-3 provides an overview of the coverage of these efforts as
well as their current status. Overall, these national and subnational policies and programs
represent important efforts to control energy use and related emissions using the full range of
possible policy approaches.
Two of the four regulatory/administrative programs - the 100 Energy Efficiency Standards
Promotion Project and the regulatory air quality goals of the Winning the Battle for a Blue Sky
program - have been fully implemented and are either on track or have already met the goals of
these programs. Most provinces are on track to meet both the energy consumption cap and the
energy intensity targets of the Double Control Program, but some provinces are struggling to
meet their total energy consumption target as they try to balance this goal with their economic
growth ambitions. The 100-1000-10,000 Program – the successor to the highly-successful Top1000 and Top-10,000 Programs – has made little progress to date.
Of the three economic programs – the Energy Consumption Quota Trading Program, the
National Emissions Trading Program, and Green Financing – only the Green Financing program
is progressing rapidly, with significant increases in green credit and green bond issuances in
recent years. The other two more market-based economic programs have not moved past the
pilot phase, but are slowly gathering experience and making progress toward larger future
efforts.
The remaining programs – the Energy Efficiency Top Runner Program, the Low-Carbon Pilot
Cities and Provinces Program, and a portion of the 100 Energy Efficiency Standards Promotion
Program – have informational, voluntary, and motivational components. A total of 43 voluntary
standards on energy–savings measurement, energy management systems, energy use
monitoring, and economic operation have been promulgated under the 100 Energy Efficiency
Standards Promotion Program. While the Low-Carbon Pilot Cities and Provinces Program has
substantial participation and has made significant progress undertaking voluntary energy and
GHG inventories, setting targets, preparing low-carbon action plans, and developing local
standards and incentives that go beyond national requirements, current efforts under this
program seemed to have slowed as the focus shifts to dual control of CO2 and air pollutants.
The Energy Efficiency Top Runner Program has been established through three distinct efforts
focused on industrial facilities, appliances, and public institutions, but the program is
experiencing weak participation to-date.
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