China’s climate change regulator said that 27 of the country’s 31 regional divisions satisfied greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets set for 2016.
In 2016 the central government released a plan for accelerating the development of clean energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by the agricultural sector, following China’s emergence as the world’s biggest source of CO2 emissions.
On Monday the National Development and Reform Commission released its assessment of the 31 regions covered by the plan, which indicates that a total of 27 satisfied the greenhouse gas reduction targets outlined for 2016.
Regions that scored “excellent” ratings included the mega-cities of Beijing and Shanghai, as well as the affluent coastal provinces of Guangdong and Zhejiang.
Regions that failed to meet their targets included Tibet and Qinghai in China’s remote far-west, as well as Guangxi province in the south-west and the north-eastern province of Liaoning.
China has committed to reducing CO2 emissions per unit of GDP growth by 18% during the period from 2016 – 2020, as well as keep total energy consumption at under 5 billion tonnes of standard coal equivalent by 2020, as compared to 4.3 billion tonnes in 2015.
As part of its commitment to the Paris climate change agreement Beijing has also pledged that China’s greenhouse gas emissions will reach their peak around 2030.
In December China unveiled its nationwide emissions trading initiative, with a view to provide economic incentives for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
