An Assessment of the Contributions of Energy Conservation and Carbon Emission Reduction to China's 11^<th> FYP Plan(<Special Issue>The Environmental Management and Production Systems in the 21th Century)

Abstract

According to IEA, China's carbon dioxide emissions accounted for 23% of the world's total emissions, and China surpassed the U.S. as the world's largest emitter in 2009. At the same time, China became the world's second largest economy in 2010. From this perspective, we may say that China should assume greater responsibility for emission reductions. However, the outside world holds an image of China as a heavy emitter but, due to less media attention, no has further information about what China has done to reduce carbon emissions. In fact, China has already made great efforts in emission reduction; for example, between 2005 and 2010, China's energy intensity (energy consumption per 100 000 Yuan GDP) decreased by 19.1%, saving 630 million tons of coal, equal to 1.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions! Such a large emission reduction is definitely a major contribution China has made to the world, and it shows that China is taking the lead in carbon emission reductions. This paper reviews and evaluates the main achievements of energy conservation and pollution control in recent years in China, especially during the period of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan.