Making China the Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy: Key Challenges and Responses

26 Pages Posted: 28 Feb 2016

See all articles by ZhongXiang Zhang

ZhongXiang Zhang

Tianjin University - Ma Yinchu School of Economics

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: November 1, 2015

Abstract

China has realized that for its own sake and from the international community’s perspective, it cannot afford to continue along the conventional path of encouraging economic growth at the expense of the environment. Accordingly, the country has placed ecological goals at the same level of priority as policies on economic, political, cultural and social development. Specifically, to meet the grand goal involves not only capping China’s nationwide coal consumption to let it peak before 2020 and carbon emissions peak around 2030, but also putting in place a variety of flagship programs and initiatives, prices and policies. This paper argues that the 2030 carbon emissions peak goal is ambitious but achievable and concludes by arguing why China’s anti-pollution outcomes this time might be different from the previous ones.

Keywords: Low-carbon economy; carbon emissions peaks; coal consumption; carbon pricing; energy prices; resource tax reform; renewable energy; China

JEL Classification: H23, P28, Q42, Q43, Q48, Q53, Q54, Q58

Suggested Citation

Zhang, ZhongXiang, Making China the Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy: Key Challenges and Responses (November 1, 2015). Crawford School of Public Policy CCEP Working Paper No. 1511, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2738207 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2738207

ZhongXiang Zhang (Contact Author)

Tianjin University - Ma Yinchu School of Economics ( email )

92 Weijin Road, Nankai District
Tianjin 300072
China
+86 22 87370560 (Phone)

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