Review of Low Carbon Development in China: 2010 Report

The 2010 report by the Climate Policy Initiative reviews China's progress during its 11th Five-Year Plan (FYP), which aimed to reduce energy intensity by 20%. The study finds that China was on track to meet this target, with energy intensity decreasing by 15.6% by the end of 2009. While significant gains were made in the power and industrial sectors through plant closures and technology upgrades, the building and transport sectors saw energy use increase due to urbanization and economic growth. The report notes that many policies were top-down administrative measures that may not be cost-effective for future goals, as much of the 'low-hanging fruit' for efficiency gains has already been utilized.

• By the end of 2009, China had achieved 78% of its 20% energy intensity reduction target, with a total decrease of 15.6% compared to 2005 levels.
• In the power sector, China surpassed its 11th FYP target of 50GW of plant closures by 2009. The sector also expanded low-carbon capacity, adding 90GW of hydro power, nearly 25GW of wind, and 2GW of nuclear power by 2009.
• The manufacturing industry was a primary driver of national energy intensity reduction, contributing 58.7% of the total reduction and 65.7% of the national CO2 emission reduction between 2006 and 2008.
• Three key industrial policies were critical to the 11th FYP: the Top-1000 Energy Consuming Enterprises Program (contributing 27% of the national target), the Ten Key Energy Conservation Projects (contributing 29%), and the Small Plant Closure Program (contributing 22%).
• The building sector experienced an increase in energy use of 28% from 2005 to 2008, with energy intensity per square meter increasing by 16% in the same period, driven by rapid urbanization and rising living standards.
• In the transport sector, energy consumption grew 25% between 2005 and 2008. There was a notable shift toward more energy-intensive modes, with the share of freight road transport increasing from 20.87% to 42.48% while railway's share decreased from 49.75% to 32.45% during 2005-2008.
• Agriculture was the only sector where direct energy-related emissions declined during the 11th FYP. However, overall greenhouse gas emissions saw a small net increase due to growth in CO2 emissions embedded in fertilizer production.
• China's forestry development significantly increased carbon sinks, adding an average of 420MtCO2 per year, which is nearly four times the CO2 emissions from direct fossil fuel combustion in the agriculture and forestry sector.
• The report concludes that many 11th FYP policies were top-down administrative measures that consumed high levels of funding and administrative resources, and that most 'low-hanging fruit' for energy intensity reduction 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} }