China’s Climate Road Map Outlines Plan to Cap Emissions By 2030

(Bloomberg) -- China has released its official road map for capping carbon emissions before 2030, delivering details on the country’s climate push that have been eagerly awaited by environmentalists and captains of industry alike.

The plan from the State Council, China’s cabinet, was promised in March by Premier Li Keqiang. China drew international praise for its announcement last year that it intends to reach carbon neutrality by 2060. But the focus quickly shifted to how that can be achieved and the details released on Tuesday fill in some of the gaps in the road map to reaching that ambitious goal.

The plan doesn’t alter any of the top-line targets that China has been pursuing, but offers several new details on sectors ranging from hydropower to construction and oil refining.

It follows by a few weeks President Xi Jinping’s announcement that the country will stop building overseas coal power plants. It’s also just days before the start of a vital round of the United Nations-backed climate talks in Glasgow, where nations will need to boost their ambitions in order to keep to the Paris Agreement of limiting global warming to 1.5ºC from pre-industrial levels within reach.

Xie Zhenhua, China’s special envoy for climate change, said in July that the plan, also known as “1+N,” will be an answer to questions over China’s official timetable to achieve its climate goals. According to Xie, “1” means the overall guideline for carbon neutrality and carbon peaking, while “N” refers to policies addressing sectors and regions. 

Here are some of the key details:

Different Speeds

The plan calls on areas where emissions have already peaked or where there’s less industry to move faster in reducing greenhouse gases, while expecting regions with heavier industry and coal-based power to strive to achieve their peak in line with the national goal.

Industries

Steel, nonferrous metals, construction materials and petrochemicals were singled out for industry-specific emissions-peaking plans, although without any extra targets.  

Energy Storage

New-energy storage capacity will reach 30 gigawatts by 2025, while pumped hydro capacity will reach 120 gigawatts by 2030. By then, provincial grids should be able to meet 5% of peak demand through electricity storage systems.

Transportation

By 2030, 40% of all additional vehicles each year will be powered by new energy, green travel will account for at least 70% of trips in all cities with more than 1 million people, and oil demand from land transportation will have peaked.

Oil Refining

Total crude oil refining capacity will be capped at 1 billion tons a year, or about 20 million barrels a day, by 2025, compared to about 900 million tons now. 

Hydropower

About 40 gigawatts of hydropower will be added through 2030, with development focusing on the Jinsha, Lancang, Yalong and Yellow rivers, along with the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, which feeds into major waterways in India and Bangladesh and which was being eyed for development last year. 

Construction 

Green building standards will be fully implemented in towns and cities by 2025, solar roofs will cover half of new factories and public buildings, and urban buildings should get 8% of their energy from renewable-integrated construction materials. 

Recycling

Recycling of nine major resources including iron and steel, copper, aluminum, lead, zinc, paper, plastics, rubber and waste glass will reach 450 million tons by 2025, and 510 million by 2030.

Power Lines

All new long-distance power lines that cross provinces should transmit at least 50% renewable power.

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.

With assistance from Bloomberg