China Low Carbon Development Planning Project
CCS-GEI EcoPartnership on China Low Carbon Development
Since 2009, the Center for Climate Strategies (CCS) has partnered with the Beijing-based Global Environmental Institute (GEI) to support China's advancement of climate change action. In 2011, the U.S. State Department and China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) formally recognized this U.S.-China partnership as an official EcoPartnership.
CCS and GEI work closely with key national and provincial government officials and experts in China at the NDRC, Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Policy and Management (CAS-IPM), Chinese Academy of Governance (CAG) system, Guangdong Provincial Development and Reform Commission (DRC), and other institutions.
CCS U.S.-China Engagement includes:
Development of the Chinese Low Carbon Development (LCD) Planning and Analysis Toolkit to help provinces and cities meet carbon and energy intensity reduction and economic growth goals established in China's Five Year Plans.
Completion of a first pilot for this new Toolkit in provincial-level Chongqing Municipality, to be followed by additional provinces and cities in cooperation with GEI and CAS IPM, as well other national and local technical institutes.
Information and technical exchange between subnational governments in China and the U.S. to close information, technique, and policy gaps within and between the two nations.
New state-to-province relationships around commerce, energy, and the environment, including policy and investment alignment.
Long-term training and capacity building for government agencies and institutions to support national scale implementation of climate and economic planning.
CCS President and CEO Tom Peterson and GEI President Jin Jiaman
At the June 6, 2016 annual US China EcoPartnership meeting, CCS and GEI graduated from the program following five years of intensive collaboration on China’s subnational Low Carbon Development program. Key elements of the bilateral partnership included joint development of China’s Low Carbon Development Subnational Planning and Analysis Toolkit in conjunction with the Chinese Academies of Science Institute for Policy & Management; Pilot Demonstration in the Provincial City of Chongqing; formal recognition for official use by China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC); development of China’s Subnational Low Carbon Development Curriculum; workshop based training and remote assistance to 210 technicians from 13 provinces and 18 cities representing 40 percent of China’s economy and 36 percent of its energy demand; training of over 1,000 additional civil servants through the Chinese Academies of Science; and transition to city and province Low Carbon Development plans in all regions of China.
China Low Carbon Development Toolkit
Comprehensive LCD Planning and Analysis Methodologies and Tools
Supports multi objective decision making across all sectors and policy mechanisms
Establishes baselines, multi metric goals, full range of policy options, policy screening, policy and mechanisms design, direct and indirect impacts, including cost effectiveness and macroeconomic analysis and carbon intensity of the economy
Supported by full curriculum and training program
Open system incorporates models from other sources in a cohesive and comprehensive system addressing all sectors of the economy
Meets international and national standards of analysis
China Low Carbon Development Training
Provides technical support for startup and conduct of local LCD policy planning and analysis as well as regional capacity
Provides on-site curriculum based instruction combined with remote training and technical assistance, followed by learning by doing application in actual LCD Plan development and implementation
Trainings for government officials, managers and technicians, academic and research institute analysts and has included representatives from 18 cities and 13 provinces in all regions of China
Helps subnational policy makers build innovative and integrated LCD and green growth program capacity
National Coverage of CCS/GEI Trained Regions
40% China GDP, 26.7 trillion RMB, or $4.1 trillion USD
33% China Coal consumption, 1.45 billion tons standard coal
36% China Electricity consumption, 1,991 billion kWh
33% China Annual CO2 Emissions, 2.2 billion tons
CCS China Low Carbon Development Planning Project Milestons
Chinese Subnational Low Carbon Development Planning and Analysis Toolkit Version1.0
In April 2014, the Version1.0 of the toolkit for Chinese subnational Low Carbon Development planning and analysis was successfully completed and introduced to Chinese National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), DRC of provinces, and Chinese Academy of Government (CAG). Initiated in 2011 by CCS, GEI and CAS-IPM, the completion of the toolkit Version 1.0 allows Chinese municipals to develop and eventually implement the low carbon development plans by themselves to accomplish climate, economic, and energy goals.
Moreover, the toolkit has the potential to provide technical needs for air quality improvement planning and analysis in China, especially those related to particular matter. Assisted with training and capacity building for government officials, the toolkit is expected to be used to enhance air quality, reduce carbon emissions, and stimulate economic development in China.
Chongqing Pilot Plan: Application of Provincial-Level Low Carbon Development Planning and Analysis Toolkit
Started in 2013, this Pilot Plan aims at applying the Low Carbon Development (LCD) Planning and Analysis Toolkit to the Provincial-Level Municipality, Chongqing. The project is a collaborative work by Global Environmental Institute (GEI), Institute of Policy and Management under Chinese Academy of Science (CAS IPM) and Center for Climate Strategies (CCS). With the approval of the Chinese National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the toolkit will also be implemented and improved to other lead provinces and cities in China, and eventually to the whole nation after the implementation in Chongqing.
Up to December 2014, the analysis for Chongqing Pilot Plan has been completed. CCS-GEI-CAS IPM team is finalizing the project by conducting macroeconomic analysis for the Chongqing policies, drafting the LCD Plan, and developing the implementation mechanisms of the plan.
Low Carbon Development Curriculum: National Template Roll-Out & Capacity Building
As the Chinese Planning Template for Subnational Low Carbon Development Planning has been built up with the development of projects such as the Chongqing Pilot Plan, more outreach and capacity building activities are needed for the template adaptation at province level as well as at national level in China. Collaborating among CCS, GEI, CAS IPM, CAG, local Academies of Governance, and approved by NDRC, the Low Carbon Development Curriculum is developed to enhance the Chinese government's capacity in adopting the Chinese Planning Template and in making new subnational and national Low Carbon Development plans.
Upon completion of the curriculum, it will not only provide general concepts and framework of the Subnational Low Carbon Development Planning, but also offer detailed analysis methods and policy making techniques to Chinese government.
Low Carbon Development Planning Supporting in Shanxi
Shanxi Province Research Center for Eco-environmental Science (SPRCES) is deginated by Shanxi DRC to create a LCD Planning program for Yangquan City to meet the provincial 13th FYP. CCS and GEI will support this program in various areas, include inventory and baseline development, policy design and selection, micro-economic analysis, macro-economic analysis, etc. By this program, SPRCES plans to compose a "Methods of LCD Planning for the City of Yangquan" and will present and share its LCD planning works with other Chinese agencies to support scale up.
