Ng Han Guan / AP / TT
Summary
- China’s approach to the climate crisis is characterised by large-scale undertakings. In 2022, the country was both the world’s biggest emitter of CO2 and the biggest investor in green energy.
- Under the Paris Agreement, China is committed to reaching carbon peak in 2030 and carbon neutrality in 2060, often referred to domestically as “30-60”. Most experts agree that China is likely to meet these targets.
- China’s overall climate policy is coordinated by the National Leading Group for Climate Change, Energy Conservation and Emissions Reduction while the Ministry of Ecology and Environment has the principal responsibility for climate crisis policy within the Chinese government.
- Until now, China has implemented its climate policies mainly through the Target Responsibility System, a top-down approach in which the central government distributes climate targets to lower-level administrations. In 2021, the Chinese government launched a new Emissions Trading Scheme to complement the Target Responsibility System.
- China has contributed substantially to bringing down the costs of important green energy technologies, such as solar photovoltaic technology. Concerns have also been raised about labour conditions in the China’s green technology industries, including evidence of forced labour.
