Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
energy intensity during this period also revealed noticeable problems. For instance,
regional differences were not taken into consideration in target distribution; there
was also over-dependence on government actions while downplaying the role of
markets. Due to the lack of experience in implementing policies related to energy
conservation, local governments underestimated and poorly prepared for
difficulties and hardships. Therefore, in the second half of the 11th Plan period,
as the pressure of realizing the targets across the country was building up, many
places were unable to complete the task and some local governments were forced to
take extreme measures like “power rationing” and “abrupt shutdown of heating”.
These methods not only run counter to establishing a long-term mechanism of
energy saving and emission reduction, but also are unable to stimulate a real
transformation of the development mode. Hence, the energy saving target of the
12th Five-Year Plan on the one hand set a lower energy intensity target at 16 %
instead of 20 % in order to release the difficulties of completing the task regions
taking regional differences into full consideration and categorizes the targets.
Many may know that China is the largest carbon emitter, but few know that
China also reduces and achieves the most in emission reduction. Ross Garnaut has
made penetrating remarks that China actually has done a lot in dealing with climate
change. But little is known because China didn't integrate itself into the interna-
tional system in this aspect.
As a matter of fact, China's reduction actions are the strictest in the world and its
enforcement is the strongest. No one else dares to propose the targets of a 20 %
reduction of energy consumption and emission in 5 years and a 10 % reduction of
major pollutants. The following section introduces the policies and achievements of
energy saving and emission reduction during the 11th Plan. It is no exaggeration
that only China can take such measures, and only China can achieve so much within
such a short time.
China is a socialist market economy, which indicates that China is a market
economy with national authority over it. In other words, China's economy is
market-conforming, but the Chinese government and economic planning play an
important role. On the issue of climate change and energy saving and emission
reduction, China implements forceful policies from the top down. This is the very
foundation upon which the achievements of the 11th Five-Year Plan were
completed:
1. Eliminating outdated industrial capacity (promoting the large and holding the
small, closing down, suspending operation, merging or rationalizing): in 2007,
China adopted programs of constructing big power units while closing down
small ones in the power industry and closing down and eliminating outmoded
production capacity in the steel industry; these programs covered 13 industries
including thermal power, steel, cement, coal, and so on. In 2008, the program
continued, with central government financial support of 6.2 million yuan for
employee settlement and production switches. In 2009, the program of
constructing big power units while closing down small ones shut down small
thermal power units of 15 MW, eliminated backward iron-making production
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