POLICY BRIEF

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines China's role in global greenhouse gas emissions, highlighting the tension between its rapid economic growth and the need for low-carbon development to meet global temperature targets.

• China was one of the world's largest greenhouse gas emitters in 2005, with emissions primarily driven by fossil fuels. The country's carbon intensity is exceptionally high by international standards, and the document asserts that keeping global temperature rise within 2 °C is impossible without "drastic improvement in Chinese carbon intensity".
• While China's annual per capita emissions are currently just above the world average and only one quarter of the level in the U.S., they are rising rapidly. If China maintains a 2007 energy use increase rate of 8% annually and the EU achieves its 20% reduction target, China's per capita CO2 emissions could be double those of the EU by 2020.
• China's share of historical cumulative emissions since 1900 is just under one tenth, but it could reach its global population share of one fifth as early as the 2020s if current emission trends continue.
• Current Chinese climate policies, driven by energy security, aim for a 20% reduction in energy intensity by 2010. If this target is met, it would be the "largest policy driven reduction of CO2 emissions worldwide" and could avoid 1.5 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2010 alone.
• The 2008 financial crisis caused a rapid decrease in power generation in the second half of the year, providing a potential "breathing space" and an opportunity for China to redirect toward low-carbon development. Investing in energy conservation during this period could reduce China's energy intensity by 5% or more.
• China's increasing emissions are weakening its international negotiating position, shifting its role from a "victim of other countries emissions" to a "leading contributor to global emissions". The document suggests the next decade is a strategic window for China to adopt a proactive approach to avoid being "left behind" as low-carbon models become mainstream.

APA

Olsson, M. (n.d.). POLICY BRIEF. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Rethinking-development/New_economics_for_sustainable_development/china-greenhouse-challenge.pdf

Chicago

Olsson, Marie. POLICY BRIEF. Stockholm Environment Institute, n.d. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Rethinking-development/New_economics_for_sustainable_development/china-greenhouse-challenge.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Olsson |first1=Marie |title=POLICY BRIEF |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Rethinking-development/New_economics_for_sustainable_development/china-greenhouse-challenge.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{olssonndpolicy, author = {Olsson, Marie}, title = {{POLICY BRIEF}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Rethinking-development/New_economics_for_sustainable_development/china-greenhouse-challenge.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }