A Balancing Act: China’s Role in Climate Change

The report examines China's transition toward a low-carbon economy, highlighting how energy security and the 'Scientific Development Concept' drive its climate policies. It analyzes China's emissions trends, its dependence on coal, and its strategic positioning in international negotiations, arguing that China's domestic economic stability and the global 2°C target are inextricably linked.

• China is a dominant global emitter, accounting for nearly 25% of global CO2 emissions and 57% of the global increase in carbon emissions during the decade leading up to the report.
• China's climate policies are primarily driven by energy security and the 'Scientific Development Concept,' which seeks to balance economic growth with social harmony and environmental protection.
• The Chinese government set ambitious compulsory targets for the 11th five-year programme (2006-2010), including a 20% reduction in energy intensity and a 10% reduction in pollution discharge compared to 2005 levels.
• China's energy system is heavily dependent on coal, which accounts for more than two-thirds of the primary energy mix and 77% of the power mix as of 2007.
• China is a large net exporter of embedded carbon, but this is attributed to the overall lower carbon efficiency of the Chinese economy compared to developed nations rather than a specific comparative advantage in carbon-intensive products.
• To keep global warming within a 2°C bracket, China's emissions would need to peak around 2020; however, reaching this would require transformative changes and significant international investment.
• China's bargaining position in international climate negotiations is weakening as its role shifts from a victim of historical emissions to a dominant current contributor.
• China's domestic vulnerability to climate change is high, with expected temperature increases of 3.3°C by 2050 and significant risks to the Pearl and Yangtze River deltas, which are critical to the national GDP.
• China has become a world leader in renewable energy investment and production, particularly in wind power and solar water heaters, aiming for 15% renewables in the primary energy mix by 2020.
• The 2008 global financial crisis presented a strategic window for China to use its stimulus package to fund a 'green recovery' and avoid locking into carbon-intensive infrastructure.

APA

Hallding, K., Han, G., & Olsson, M. (2009). A Balancing Act: China’s Role in Climate Change. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/china-cluster/chinacluster_abalancingact.pdf

Chicago

Hallding, Karl, Guoyi Han, and Marie Olsson. A Balancing Act: China’s Role in Climate Change. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2009. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/china-cluster/chinacluster_abalancingact.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{hallding2009balancing, author = {Hallding, Karl and Han, Guoyi and Olsson, Marie}, title = {{A Balancing Act: China’s Role in Climate Change}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2009}, month = mar, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/china-cluster/chinacluster_abalancingact.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }