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Are China’s climate commitments in a post-Paris agreement sufficiently ambitious?

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  • Zhang, ZhongXiang

Abstract

In international climate change negotiations, China’s role is an issue of perennial concern. In particular, the lack of quantitative, absolute emissions commitments from China has been the focus. In line with changing domestic and international contexts, China is recalibrating its stance and strategy. Its participation in international climate change negotiations has evolved from playing a peripheral role to gradually moving to the centre. This article examines China’s stance and role in international climate change negotiations from a historical perspective. In so doing, the article discusses the evolution of international climate negotiations and China’s stance in the lead-up to and at the Paris conference. The focus is now turning to the implementation of the Paris Agreement. The article discusses post-Paris issues in the international context and in particular in China’s context. These affect the post Paris negotiations and hold the key to achieving desired outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhang, ZhongXiang, 2016. "Are China’s climate commitments in a post-Paris agreement sufficiently ambitious?," Working Papers 249526, Australian National University, Centre for Climate Economics & Policy.
  • Handle: RePEc:ags:ancewp:249526
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.249526
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    1. ZhongXiang Zhang, 2011. "Assessing China’s carbon intensity pledge for 2020: stringency and credibility issues and their implications," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 13(3), pages 219-235, September.
    2. ZhongXiang Zhang, 2012. "Who should bear the cost of China’s carbon emissions embodied in goods for exports?," Mineral Economics, Springer;Raw Materials Group (RMG);Luleå University of Technology, vol. 24(2), pages 103-117, June.
    3. Zhongxiang Zhang, 2015. "Carbon emissions trading in China: the evolution from pilots to a nationwide scheme," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(sup1), pages 104-126, December.
    4. Zhongxiang Zhang, 2011. "In what format and under what timeframe would China take on climate commitments? A roadmap to 2050," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 11(3), pages 245-259, September.
    5. Zhang, ZhongXiang, 2006. "China, the United States and technology cooperation on climate control," MPRA Paper 12801, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. ZhongXiang Zhang, 2014. "Energy Prices, Subsidies and Resource Tax Reform in China," Asia and the Pacific Policy Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 1(3), pages 439-454, September.
    7. ZhongXiang Zhang, 2014. "Programs, Prices and Policies Towards Energy Conservation and Environmental Quality in China," CCEP Working Papers 1407, Centre for Climate & Energy Policy, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
    8. ZhongXiang Zhang, 2012. "Effective environmental protection in the context of government decentralization," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 53-82, March.
    9. Zhang, Zhongxiang, 2000. "Decoupling China's Carbon Emissions Increase from Economic Growth: An Economic Analysis and Policy Implications," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 28(4), pages 739-752, April.
    10. Can Wang & Jie Lin & Wenjia Cai & ZhongXiang Zhang, 2013. "Policies and Practices of Low Carbon City Development in China," Energy & Environment, , vol. 24(7-8), pages 1347-1372, December.
    11. Zhang, ZhongXiang, 2010. "China in the transition to a low-carbon economy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(11), pages 6638-6653, November.
    12. Kejun Jiang & Xing Zhuang & Ren Miao & Chenmin He, 2013. "China's role in attaining the global 2°C target," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(sup01), pages 55-69, March.
    13. Fei Teng & Frank Jotzo, 2014. "Reaping the Economic Benefits of Decarbonization for China," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 22(5), pages 37-54, September.
    14. ZhongXiang Zhang, 2010. "Copenhagen and Beyond: Reflections on China’s Stance and," Chapters, in: Emilio Cerdá Tena & Xavier Labandeira (ed.), Climate Change Policies, chapter 11, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    15. Zhang, ZhongXiang, 2000. "Can China afford to commit itself an emissions cap? An economic and political analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(6), pages 587-614, December.
    16. Massimo Tavoni & Elmar Kriegler & Keywan Riahi & Detlef P. van Vuuren & Tino Aboumahboub & Alex Bowen & Katherine Calvin & Emanuele Campiglio & Tom Kober & Jessica Jewell & Gunnar Luderer & Giacomo Ma, 2015. "Post-2020 climate agreements in the major economies assessed in the light of global models," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 5(2), pages 119-126, February.
    17. William D. Nordhaus, 2006. "After Kyoto: Alternative Mechanisms to Control Global Warming," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 96(2), pages 31-34, May.
    18. ZhongXiang Zhang, 2011. "Energy and Environmental Policy in China," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 13559.
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    Cited by:

    1. Guo, Shu & Zhang, ZhongXiang, 2023. "Green credit policy and total factor productivity: Evidence from Chinese listed companies," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    2. Cheng, Chuntian & Chen, Fu & Li, Gang & Ristić, Bora & Mirchi, Ali & Qiyu, Tu & Madani, Kaveh, 2018. "Reform and renewables in China: The architecture of Yunnan's hydropower dominated electricity market," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 682-693.
    3. ZhongXiang Zhang, 2016. "The implementation of the Paris Agreement in the international and China?s context," ECONOMICS AND POLICY OF ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2016(3), pages 63-69.
    4. Zhang, ZhongXiang, 2018. "Trade and Climate Change: Focus on Carbon Leakage, Border Carbon Adjustments and WTO Consistency," Foundations and Trends(R) in Microeconomics, now publishers, vol. 12(1), pages 1-108, August.
    5. ZhongXiang Zhang, 2020. "Regional Pilots and Carbon Pricing," ifo DICE Report, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 18(01), pages 09-12, April.
    6. Bai-Chen Xie & Jie Gao & Shuang Zhang & ZhongXiang Zhang, 2017. "What Factors Affect the Competiveness of Power Generation Sector in China? An Analysis Based on Game Cross-efficiency," Working Papers 2017.12, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    7. Raul Asseff Castelão & Celso Correia Souza & Daniel Massen Frainer, 2021. "Southern Mato Grosso state (Brazil) productive system and its impact on emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2)," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 4134-4148, March.
    8. Liang Nie & ZhongXiang Zhang, 2021. "Is high-speed rail green? Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China," Working Papers 2021.23, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    9. Paul G. Harris, 2017. "China’s Paris pledge on climate change: inadequate and irresponsible," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 7(1), pages 102-107, March.
    10. Xie, Bai-Chen & Gao, Jie & Zhang, Shuang & Pang, Rui-Zhi & Zhang, ZhongXiang, 2018. "The environmental efficiency analysis of China’s power generation sector based on game cross-efficiency approach," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 126-135.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Environmental Economics and Policy; International Relations/Trade;

    JEL classification:

    • Q01 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - General - - - Sustainable Development
    • Q5 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy

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