China Energy Outlook 2020 - Flipbook - Page 69
A number of policies have been put in place to support the Three-Year Plan on Defending the
Blue Sky, including adjusting industrial structure and promoting green development, promoting
fuel switching to electricity, natural gas, and clean (low-ash, low-water content) coal in the
winter heating season in Northern China, accelerating the elimination of small coal-fired
boilers, lowering the share of road transport and increasing the share of rail freight, crackingdown on excessive emissions of diesel-powered trucks, continuing the ultra-low emission
retrofits in coal-fired power plants, starting the ultra-low emission retrofits in the iron and steel
industry (MEE, 2019b), and strengthening the management of volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) in key industries. The Plan sets out specific reduction goals for SO2, NOX, PM2.5, as well
as other pollutants. As of 2018, initial reports show that the goals have either been met or are
on track to be met during the 13th Five Year Plan period (Kou and Sun, 2019; Liu, Y., 2019;
Xinhau Net, 2019a).
Low-Carbon Pilot Cities and Provinces
China’s Low Carbon Pilot Cities and Provinces have announced CO2 peaking targets. In
support of these targets, they are conducting energy and GHG emissions inventories,
preparing action plans, and establishing local standards and incentives.
NDRC’s low carbon development pilot program – launched in 2010 – was established to
motivate and provide support to Chinese cities in conducting energy and GHG inventories,
setting targets, preparing low-carbon action plans, and developing local standards and
incentives that go beyond national requirements (Khanna et al., 2014).
Some cities have explicitly announced their CO2 emissions peaking year goals in provincial-level
13th Five-Year Plan for GHG emissions, including Beijing (2020 or earlier), Tianjin (around 2025),
Yunnan Province (around 2025), Shandong Province (around 2027), or in the city overall plan
(i.e. Shanghai). By the end of 2017, 80 low-carbon pilot cities and 4 provinces had established
CO2 peaking year goals (NCSC, 2018). Table 2-6 shows the CO2 peaking year goals of these cities
and provinces where 4 cities plan to peak before 2020, 12 cities plan to peak in 2020, 15 cities
plan to peak between 2021 and 2024, 30 cities and 1 province plan to peak in 2025, 11 cities
plan to peak between 2026 and 2029, and 8 cities and 3 provinces plan to peak in 2030.
In addition, over 400 low-carbon community pilots have also been implemented across 22
provinces since 2017. Most of those low-carbon community pilots developed implementation
plans; some of them (e.g. Beijing, Shanghai, Hebei, Jiangxi, Hubei, Guangxi, and Shaanxi)
established evaluation indicators or guidelines for low-carbon community pilot development.
China has also initiated climate adaptive city pilots in 28 cities in 2017 (NDRC, 2017d).
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