Review of Low Carbon Development in China: 2010 Report

China's energy intensity decreased by 15.6% between 2005 and 2009, putting it on track to meet its 11th Five-Year Plan target of a 20% reduction. The report finds that while top-down administrative measures and plant closures were effective, much of the 'low-hanging fruit' has been picked, suggesting that future reductions in the 12th Five-Year Plan will be more costly. Sectoral analysis shows significant gains in power and manufacturing efficiency, while the building and transport sectors faced challenges from rapid urbanization and a shift toward more energy-intensive transport modes. Agriculture and forestry provided significant carbon sinks through afforestation, though fertilizer use remains a primary source of emissions.

• By the end of 2009, China had reduced its energy intensity by 15.6% compared to 2005 levels, achieving 78% of its 20% target for the 11th Five-Year Plan.
• The power sector improved efficiency by closing older plants and increasing the share of larger units; by 2009, China surpassed its target of 50GW of plant closures and increased the share of units larger than 300MW from 47% in 2005 to 69% in 2009.
• The manufacturing sector was a primary driver of national intensity reductions, with energy use per unit of industrial value added declining 13.3% between 2005 and 2008.
• Three key industrial policies—the Top-1000 Energy Consuming Enterprises Program, the Ten Key Energy Conservation Projects, and the Small Plant Closure Program—collectively contributed a significant portion of the national 20% energy intensity reduction target.
• In the building sector, energy use increased by 28% from 2005 to 2008 due to urbanization and rising living standards, though district heating in Northern China showed a notable decline in energy consumption per square meter.
• The transport sector saw a shift toward more energy-intensive modes; for freight, the share of road transport increased from 20.87% to 42.48% between 2005 and 2008, while railway's share decreased from 49.75% to 32.45%.
• China's forestry development created substantial carbon sinks, adding an average of 420MtCO2 per year, which is nearly four times the direct fossil fuel emissions from the agriculture and forestry sector.
• Fertilizer-related greenhouse gas emissions are the leading source of emissions in the agriculture and forestry sector, totaling over 436MtCO2-eq in 2008.
• Many of the 11th FYP policies were top-down administrative measures that required high financial and human resources, and the report suggests that the most cost-effective 'low-hanging fruit' has already been picked.

APA

Climate Policy Initiative (2011). Review of Low Carbon Development in China: 2010 Report. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Review-of-LCD-in-China-2010.pdf

Chicago

Climate Policy Initiative. Review of Low Carbon Development in China: 2010 Report. 2011. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Review-of-LCD-in-China-2010.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Policy Initiative |title=Review of Low Carbon Development in China: 2010 Report |date=25 February 2011 |url=https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Review-of-LCD-in-China-2010.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatepolicyinitiative2011review, author = {{Climate Policy Initiative}}, title = {{Review of Low Carbon Development in China: 2010 Report}}, institution = {Climate Policy Initiative}, year = {2011}, month = feb, url = {https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Review-of-LCD-in-China-2010.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }