Section 2: Evaluation Climate Change, Energy and Refrigerants
Climate Change, Energy Use and Refrigerants
According to the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Growing awareness of the impact of emissions on climate
Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report (AR4), to stablize
change has prompted some policy changes to encourage the
global GHG emissions between 445 and 490 ppm, there
development of renewable energy for China. China’s national
needs to be a reduction of at least 50% from 2000 levels
target for renewable energy also aims to increase renewable
change.53
energy up to 15% by 2020. Currently, China is already ranked
Furthermore, global emissions must decline after 2015 for the
as the world’s third largest wind turbine producer. Domestically
world to have any chance of limiting the expected temperature
the installed capacity of wind power has doubled in each of
rise to below 20C. As the world’s fastest growing economy,
the last three years. China is also one of the world’s top three
China faces an enormous challenge in how it will meet
solar photovoltaic (PV) producers.57
by 2050 if we are to avoid catastrophic climate
growing energy demands while reducing emissions. Hosting the Olympics has provided Beijing with a great opportunity to test a range of approaches for rapid emissions reductions that can be useful for the country overall. Until recently, Beijing was the city with the highest energy consumption in China. Shanghai has recently taken its place.
To increase energy efficiency, China has set a goal of a 20% reduction in energy consumption per unit of GDP by 2010.58 According to the Beijing Reform and Development Commission, during the Tenth Five Year Plan (2001-2005), Beijing’s economy grew by 12 % annually, while its yearly energy consumption increased by only 5.9 %. Energy
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, in 2007
consumption per 10 000 RMB (1 370 USD)59 of GDP
China consumed 2.65 billion tonnes of coal equivalent
decreased by 37.4 %, from 1.14 TCE in 2001 to 0.714 TCE
(TCE). Although Beijing’s energy infrastructure is changing,
in 2007, about 38 % lower than the national average.60
currently, the city still relies heavily on coal. According to Beijing’s Statistical Yearbook, in 2006 Beijing’s resource expenditure total is 51.45 million TCE.However, China is in the process of reforming its energy structure towards cleaner and renewable energy sources, and these changes are perhaps most evident in Beijing. China’s 11th Five-Year Plan on energy development states that the country aims to increase the share of natural gas in the primary energy mix from 2% to 5.3% by 2010 and up to 10% by 2020.54 Beijing’s ratio of natural gas consumption to total energy consumption
In relation to refrigerants, China has become the leading manufacturer of air-conditioners that use the refrigerant hydrochlorofluorocarbons-22 (HCFC-22), which is both ozone depleting and a potent greenhouse gas.61 As a developing country, China has already phased-out chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as of July 2007 — 2.5 years ahead of the 2010 deadline for developing countries — and will phase out HCFCs, with fewer ozone layer damaging effects, by the end of 2030, as stated under the Montreal Protocol.62
increased from 0.5 % in 1997 to 7 % in 2007.55 In 2000, the daily consumption of natural gas in Beijing equaled one billion m3 and by the end of 2007, it equaled 4.7 billion m3.56
53. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). http://www.ipcc.ch/ 54. Binbin Jiang. “The Future of Natural Gas vs. Coal Consumption in Beijing, Guangdong and Shanghai: An Assessment utilizing MARKAL.” September 2007. http://iisdb.stanford.edu/pubs/21967/Jiang,_China_MARKAL,_Working_Paper_62_REVISED1.pdf 55. Beijing Daily. “Beijing’s natural gas daily supply capacity increases to 47 million m3 per day.” http://www.panva.com.cn/news/138/2008/05/14/83828.html 56. “67% percent of days in Beijing meets Air Quality standards.” Environmental Protection Bureau press release, December 30, 2007. 57. To learn more about China’s renewable energy alternatives please see “Greenpeace’s Energy Revolution: A sustainable China energy outlook.” http://www.greenpeace. org/raw/content/china/en/press/reports/energy-revolution.pdf 58. “The National Eleventh Five-year Plan for Environmental Protection.” http://english.sepa.gov.cn/Plans_Reports/11th_five_year_plan/200803/t20080305_119001_3.htm 59. The exchange rate from RMB into USD is based on the rate on December 31, 2005 (where 1USD=7.30RMB). 60. Chinese central government. “2007 figures for energy consumption per 10 000 RMB GDP.” http://www.gov.cn/gzdt/2008-07/14/content_1044364.htm 61. International Herald Tribune. “Accelerated Ban on Refrigerant Sought.” March 15, 2007. http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/03/15/business/warm.php?page=2 62. UNEP, “Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: An Environmental Review,” p.70.
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