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Macroscope | Why China must beware of climate change measures aimed at stifling its rise
- The shift to zero-carbon economies will occur over decades in which it is clear the China-US relationship will be characterised by competition
- Measures such as carbon taxes adopted in the name of halting climate change could also be a covert way to contain China’s economic growth
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No one is going to get off scot-free when countries attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow in November, but Beijing should be wary. Climate change might be a global issue, but it is not above politics.
Measures adopted in the name of combating climate change could also be a way to try to contain China’s economic prospects.
China’s global economic heft has been acquired through marshalling a vast and industrious workforce while relying on an energy mix that was heavily skewed towards hydrocarbons. That energy mix will now have to be recalibrated towards renewable energy sources as policymakers worldwide seek to address the issue of climate change.
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Beijing knows this. In September 2020, President Xi Jinping pledged that China would reach peak carbon emissions before 2030 and the Chinese economy would achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.
China is currently the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, which scientists have identified as being the key drivers of climate change.
03:27
World leaders pledge to cut greenhouse emissions at virtual Earth Day summit
World leaders pledge to cut greenhouse emissions at virtual Earth Day summit
In the United States, the Biden administration has set a target for the economy “to create a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and [a] net zero emissions economy by no later than 2050”. The European Union aims to reach an economy with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
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