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China news tagged with: emissions (11)

• China Proposes Emission Limits on Richer Nations

  

  From the Wall Street Journal:

  China said developed nations must cut their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% by 2020 from 1990 levels, according to a document outlining its stance ahead of December climate talks in Copenhagen.

  China is also asking rich countries to donate at least 0.5% to 1% of their annual gross domestic product to help poorer countries cope with climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, it said in the document, which was posted on the Web site of the National Development and Reform Commission, the economic policy-making body that governs China’s greenhouse gas emissions policy.

  International negotiators are hoping to conclude a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, which expires at the end of 2012, in an effort to limit the growth of global-warming greenhouse gas emissions. The 40% target represents the high end of cuts in emissions mentioned in the 2007 Bali roadmap, which stopped short of endorsing a specific target.

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  • May 21, 2009 2:10 PM

• China’s Forests Have Role in Soaking Up CO2 – Study

  

  Alister Doyle of Reuters reports on the role of Chinese forests in carbon dioxide absorption:

  A study by Peking University said that increased summer rains, efforts to plant forests, an expansion of shrubland, shifts in crop use and higher bamboo mass soaked up between 28 and 37 percent of industrial emissions in the 1980s and 1990s.

  The study gave the first estimate of the impact of plants in offsetting carbon dioxide emissions in China, which has recently overtaken the United States as top emitter. Plants soak up carbon as they grow and release it when they burn or rot.

  The report, in the journal Nature, also said that China’s plants and soils soaked up more carbon per square metre than in Europe but less than in the United States.

  But a U.S. scientist said the percentage of emissions absorbed by plants was falling because a surge in economic growth in recent years meant China’s industrial emissions were expanding faster than vegetation.

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  • April 22, 2009 9:08 PM

• Japan, U.S. Seek to Divide Developing Nations at Climate Talks

  

  Japan and U.S. seek to separate developing countries, such as China and India, into a different category in order to apply emissions cap and targets to these countries. From Bloomberg:

  China, with an economic boom and no emissions limits, is expected to replace the U.S. in 2008 as the world’s biggest air polluter. That’s spurring calls for it to join Japan, Britain and other developed nations that already have greenhouse-gas caps.

  “In the developing countries there are no targets, and there are more than 100 countries,” Takiguchi said in a telephone interview from Tokyo. “The world has changed, so we need more categories, and we propose differentiation.”

  Japan’s proposal to the United Nations, which is not formally endorsed by the U.S., would divide the developing world into three groups: countries most vulnerable to climate change, such as small islands at risk of rising sea levels; an intermediate group; and the most-polluting of the developing nations. The last group would be forced to slash emissions based on pollution per capita or per unit of economic output, Takiguchi said, without naming specific countries.

  
  China Carbon Emissions to Rise Sharply @ Yahoo! Video

  However, China has rejected carbon emissions caps according to ClimateBiz:

  China has long rejected emissions caps and was exempt from the Kyoto Protocol, a point of contention for the U.S., which pulled out of the treaty. A United Nations meeting will take place in Poland in December that is part of the ongoing negotiations on a climate change treaty that will succeed Kyoto. There is also a U.N.-backed conference in Beijing this month to promote the exchange of green technologies, the Wall Street Journal reported.

  While China admits to its emission contribution, it demands developed countries to provide technologies and resources in the fight against climate change according to the follow CDT articles here and here.

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  • December 2, 2008 12:38 PM

• China’s Changsha City Plans Local Emissions Trading

  

  From Reuters:

  The city of Changsha, the capital of Hunan province in south-central China, is preparing to launch an emissions trading scheme, its mayor said on Tuesday.

  Changsha’s plan is a local version of a tentative outline drawn up by the central bank, for a domestic emissions trading scheme that could cover everything from greenhouse gases to water pollutants, and speed China’s push for greener growth.

  Changsha would assign its local districts quotas for dust, carbon dioxide and chemical oxygen demand (COD), a measure of water pollution, Zhang Jianfei told a news conference.

  “We are considering innovations like an emissions trading market,” Zhang said, as he listed other pollution-reducing measures like taxation and pricing schemes.

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  • August 5, 2008 7:08 AM

• China Plans Energy Ministry but Ignores Action on Emissions – Robin Pagnamenta

  

  From Times Online:

  China is planning to build bigger strategic reserves of key energy resources, such as petroleum and uranium, and create an energy ministry, according to a draft law published yesterday.

  However, the document made little mention of the need to develop policies to tackle soaring emissions of greenhouse gases.

  Energy security emerged as a key focus for the legislation, which recommends that Chinese oil companies, such as Petrochina and Sinopec, be forced to establish their own govern-ment-managed stockpiles to augment an existing national reserve scheme. [Full Text]

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  • December 4, 2007 7:37 PM

• China Reports Progress On Cutting Pollution, But Not Enough – AFP

  

  From AFP:

  China said Thursday it was making progress in its efforts to improve the nation’s energy efficiency and cut pollution emissions, but acknowledged that not enough was being done.

  “The results of our energy consumption and emission reduction (efforts) are starting to show,” Xie Zhenhua, deputy head of the National Development Reform Commission, told a press briefing.

  “But the situation is still grave… we have not yet completely reached our targets and if this trend doesn’t reverse, it will have a great impact on our… goals.” [Full Text]

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  • November 29, 2007 9:43 PM

• China Pays To Save Energy – Asia Times Online

  

  From Asia Times Online:

  China’s government plans to pour billions of dollars into special projects to help meet the country’s energy-saving targets. Local officials are also about to come under increased pressure to toe the government line to meet the targets, otherwise their political futures could be in jeopardy.

  A top official from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) reaffirmed China’s commitment to cutting energy use and emissions on making a report to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on Sunday. “It’s vital to cut energy use,” Ma Kai, the NDRC minister said. “If we don’t hasten our pace, it will be difficult to meet the targets this year.” [Full Text]
  
  

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  • August 27, 2007 10:18 AM

• China’s Signals on Warming – New York Times

  

  New York Times has an editorial today:

  Two factors are crucial to the success of any global system to reduce greenhouse gases. One is American leadership; the other is China’s full participation. Despite President Bush’s diffidence, there has been mounting pressure for the United States to assume a more aggressive role from mayors, governors, some in Congress and, lately, even the Supreme Court. And now there are some modestly encouraging signs from China.

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  • April 16, 2007 11:58 AM

• Energy-strapped Asian Countries Forced to Become More Efficient- Michael Casey

  

  World efforts to reduce global emissions are prompting China to modernize its energy production methods. China emits almost 10 times more mercury pollution than the U.S. (1000 tons/year vs. 158 tons/year) due to China’s reliance on coal burning generators.

  From Planetsave. com
  Friday, 03 March 2006

  China is one of the region’s most wasteful economies. Its 1950s era power plants and outdated, state-owned factories use 11 times more energy than neighboring Japan and three times more than the global average, according to Douglas Ogden, of the China Sustainable Energy Program.

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  • March 3, 2006 12:31 PM

• EU to Help China cut CO2 Emissions – Zhang Jun

  

  

  China signs an agreement with the EU to reduce emissions from coal burning power plants with a goal to have zero emissions by the year 2020. This is similar to the U.S. EPA’s long term plans for reducing emissions by 2018. Environmentalists concerned about mercury emissions from coal burning must wonder, will these promised changes come too late and at what cost to public health?

  From Shanghai Daily (link):

  CHINA, which is battling pollution on a big scale, and the European Union, one of the most technologically advanced regions, agreed yesterday to reduce China’s carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power stations and to consider burying them. Luo said the Huayi Group is studying transformation of carbon dioxide emission into ethyl acid – a basic industrial chemical. He said the EU has budgeted 5 million euros (US$5.97 million) for a feasibility study. China is trying to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions from power stations and to collect the emitted carbon dioxide. China and the EU will conduct feasibility studies and aim for zero-pollution power by 2020. China depends heavily on coal, which accounts for 70 percent of its energy consumption. New technology aims to reduce emissions from power generation while capturing and allowing for storage of carbon dioxide emitted from coal-fired power stations.

  This topic on the web, via Google News.

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  • February 21, 2006 8:55 PM

• Geoff Dyer: China to quench growing petrol thirst

  

  From the Financial Times:

  From next week, carmakers in China will be required to meet stricter standards for engines than those in the US. The new engine rules are part of a raft of measures Beijing is preparing for the sector.

  It is easy to understand why Beijing is talking tough with the carmakers. A dozen years ago, China was self-sufficient in oil.

  » Read more
  • June 29, 2005 9:45 PM

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