China to be Proactive in Post-Kyoto Talks
Could it be true? According to a Japanese paper, the Daily Yomiuri, China will announce its intentions in a joint statement with Japan.
China is supposedly going to ignite efforts to participate in international discussions on cutting its greenhouse gas emissions. Drafts of the statement also indicate unique bilateral cooperation between Japan and China to improve China’s environmental record.
An announcement of this nature would be huge - huge as in 4,707.28 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (China’s 2004 emissions, as reported by the 2004 International Energy Annual report). And it would demolish the American excuse that we’re waiting on the Chinese to seriously act.
In fact, it’s so huge that we’re not really sure whether or not to believe it… but let’s all hope the Chinese leadership is wiser than ours.
April 23rd, 2007 at 6:40 pm
The referenced article was dated 7 April, so the “next week” it mentioned is now in the past. Here is an article from after the fact:
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Japan/ID13Dh01.html
There were two relevant paragraphs:
The joint statement on energy calls for increased Japanese cooperation in promoting energy-saving in China using Japanese technology. It also reaffirms cooperation in the construction of nuclear power plants. Furthermore, the two countries agreed to work on a successor to the Kyoto Protocol on curbing global warming, which expires in 2012.
China has set a goal of improving its energy efficiency by 20% by 2010 in its current five-year plan for economic and social development. Japan’s increased assistance for China in this area will benefit both because it helps China correct its tendency to waste resources and possibly dull its avid appetite for oil and gas reserves in the East China Sea and elsewhere.
April 23rd, 2007 at 9:12 pm
“China has set a goal of improving its energy efficiency by 20% by 2010 in its current five-year plan for economic and social development.”
Is that 20% of 2007 levels? It sounds promising and would be no small feat. However, just wondering how much of an impact this is likely to make on total CO2 output, given current economic growth rate in China?
April 27th, 2007 at 12:10 pm
I think the following answers Ståle Brokvam’s question:
http://www.wri.org/ newsroom/ topic_content.cfm?cid=4234
It looks like China is taking a cue from Karl Rove (aka George Bush) and targeting “intensity” rather than absolute emissions. As if the atmosphere cares about intensity.
I think it is great that China was to be more efficient, but I think intensity targets are almost unenforceable. Has anyone devised a workable intensity cap and trade for example?
August 7th, 2008 at 10:01 am
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