A FEW weeks ago, China鈥檚 highest government decision-making body completed its second study session on climate change within a year. This was unprecedented, and symptomatic of the number of urgent environmental issues China is addressing and also of the country鈥檚 new international role: ministers needed the time to help prepare for the final day of the G8 meeting in Hokkaido, Japan, when core G8 nations met eight other major nations to talk climate change.
The fact that China was at such a meeting should be revealing to those who see it only as a country industrialising so rapidly it must open a coal-fired power plant every week. That China sounds horrible, a scary, carbon-guzzling monster. The facts look stark: as a result of its 30-year industrialisation, China is now the world鈥檚 largest emitter of carbon dioxide. If emissions go on increasing at 8 per cent per year while the European Union achieves 20 per cent reductions, China鈥檚 per capita CO2 emissions will be double those of Europeans by 2020 鈥� the IPCC鈥檚 deadline for peak CO2 emissions.
But focusing on such alarming statistics can be seriously misleading. A more nuanced picture is emerging, thanks to a new report by the Climate Group, an international NGO. In China鈥檚 Clean Revolution, we show a country deeply aware of its environmental problems but also of its potential to achieve a second, clean 30-year miracle.
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The environmental price of that first 鈥渕iracle鈥� is one Chinese people see every day of their lives. This is why so many of today鈥檚 policies concern energy efficiency, energy saving and alternative energy sources. These policies have already brought some surprises.
While the private sector is strong and growing, it helps to have a central government to introduce laws such as the 2006 National Renewable Energy Law. This set tough targets, including increasing the amount of energy from renewable sources from 8 per cent to 15 per cent by 2020 and ensuring that at least 3 per cent of that comes from sources such as solar, wind and biomass.
Wind and solar are successful already but their starting points were very different. With 6 gigawatts of energy from wind turbines, China now ranks fifth behind Germany, the US, Spain and India, and some expect the country to reach 100 GW by 2020. Wind鈥檚 success is mostly due to central government cash, enabling policies, and the right technology. The state also ensured a domestic market: electricity from wind farms comes at full price.
In contrast, there were few domestic incentives for solar power, although western countries created an open marketplace that China is set to dominate. It is second only to Japan in the global solar photovoltaic cell market, and growing fast. The solar market in China is still small because cells are expensive, so those seeking to put pressure on government to come up with policies quickly 鈥� one of our roles at the Climate Group 鈥� will have to push for policies to grow the domestic market.
Even so, the image of that new coal-fired power station opening every week looms large. It is hard to imagine China growing at the 10.5 per cent achieved last quarter without such stations. But how many people know that for the past couple of years, China has been shutting down its small power stations? First the 50-megawatt and lower, then the 100 MW and lower, and next the 300 MW stations.
鈥淗ow many people know that China has been shutting down its small power stations?鈥�
This has been driven by the central government, which is backing a new generation of coal stations that use the most advanced supercritical and ultra-supercritical clean-coal technologies. Carbon capture and storage plants are being investigated, but future thinking is leaning towards integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) technology, which turns coal into synthetic gas to generate power.
In everyday life, Chinese people are now consumers, demanding better houses and cars. There is a rising awareness about energy saving, and such energy-efficient products as solar-powered water heaters are on sale. In 2004, the government introduced a fuel economy standard for passenger vehicles: at 15.6 kilometres per litre it鈥檚 higher than Australia, Canada and the US, but behind Japan and the EU. Meanwhile, despite high taxes 鈥� for example, 20 per cent extra tax on SUVs 鈥� car sales go on growing.
China is still the kingdom of the bicycle, though: enter the electric bike at just 1500 yuan (about $220). Some have intelligent energy-recovery systems similar to those of hybrid cars. E-bikes beat car sales by 2 to 1 in 2007, accounting for three-quarters of the global electric vehicles market.
The bottom line is that China is doing a lot already, mostly unsung. Could it do more? Yes. China must keep an open mind and learn from the international community. The Climate Group鈥檚 new report shows clearly that the world should revise its image of China, not fear it but work with it constructively. At the same time, China must keep up the internal pressure to make its clean revolution a reality.
