Publications
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2024
2024-12
Report Summary
Shanxi is an economically underdeveloped, coal-dependent region in China, and its transition to low-carbon energy is bound to face unique complexities and challenges. To break free from the “coal trap,” Shanxi must develop a long-term low-carbon development strategy, stabilize market expectations, boost public confidence, and drive both energy transformation and low-carbon socio-economic development.
To model Shanxi’s low-carbon transition path under the “dual-carbon” goals, iGDP and the Shanxi Coshare Energy and Environment Innovation Institute (Coshare) have jointly developed the Shanxi Energy Policy Simulation Tool (Shanxi EPS). Through modeling and scenario analysis, the tool quantitatively simulates Shanxi’s energy transition and emissions reduction pathways. It identifies key emissions reduction areas and policies to focus on at different stages, estimates potential investment needs, and assesses the impacts of Shanxi’s low-carbon transition on GDP and employment. The results will provide critical research support for the development of a medium- to long-term low-carbon transition strategy for Shanxi.
2024-11
Report Summary
Achieving China’s Dual Carbon target is both a long-term strategic goal and a vital commitment to global climate action, requiring profound economic and social transformation. The iGDP modeling team, through extensive research and collaboration with experts, developed the Energy Policy Simulator (EPS China 2024) to analyze energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission trends from 2020 to 2060.
The analysis indicates that the “1+N” Policy Framework can facilitate carbon peaking by 2030, with some targets potentially surpassed. However, further efforts are essential for carbon neutrality by 2060, especially for non-CO2 greenhouse gas reductions, which pose significant challenges even under optimal technology and policy conditions. Key future policy areas include electrification and energy efficiency in end-use sectors, power sector decarbonization, carbon pricing mechanisms, and methane and fluorinated gas control. Strengthening electrification in buildings, industry, and transport, improving energy efficiency, and decarbonizing energy structures while managing overall energy consumption are critical. Decarbonizing the power system is central to emission reduction, with carbon pricing showing clear benefits by 2035. Reducing non-CO2 emissions, particularly methane and fluorinated gases, is crucial for achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 or sooner.
2024-11
Policy Brief
While China’s provinces differ in economy, resources, and policy implementation, they share the common goal of achieving carbon neutrality. The iGDP modeling team developed EPS provincial models using subnational open-access data and policies, evaluated the current “1+N” policies, and identified key regions and critical policy measures. This briefing highlights gaps in climate efforts across provinces and sectors, aiming to guide the development of subnational roadmaps for carbon neutrality.
2024-11
Fluorinated gases（F-Gases）, including HFCs, PFCs, SF6, and NF3, although accounting for a very small proportion of the total GHG emissions, have an extremely high greenhouse effect. This iGDP policy brief summarizes China’s F-Gases emissions situation, policies, and opportunities for emissions reduction. It is showing that, with the strengthening of control in the future, China has the opportunity to achieve near-zero emissions of F-Gases, which will help realize the 2060 carbon neutrality goal.
2024-11
Developing renewable energy power is one of the key measures for achieving a green, low-carbon transition and addressing climate change globally. The “UAE Consensus” adopted at COP28 set a target to triple global renewable capacity by 2030. In recent years, China has rapidly developed renewable energy, becoming the engine of global energy transition through its green energy development. This briefing outlines the current status and trends of renewable energy development both domestically and internationally, analyzes the gap to the tripling renewable target, and explores the major opportunities and challenges facing China’s rapid renewable energy development.
2024-11
Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas with a significant warming effect, and its emissions are rising globally, largely due to human activities such as agriculture. Reducing N2O emissions is critical for mitigating climate change. This policy brief examines the current state and trends of China’s N2O emissions, outlines key mitigation measures, and explores the opportunities and challenges China faces in addressing N2O emissions within its broader climate strategy.
2024-11
Beyond addressing climate change, reducing methane emissions can improve environmental quality, public health, and food security. Studies show that China’s methane emissions could remain high by 2050, posing challenges to its carbon neutrality goal. In this briefing, iGDP reviews recent international and Chinese policies related to methane reduction, highlights opportunities and challenges China faces in key sectors, and provides case studies and policy recommendations for effective emission reduction.
2024-10
White Paper
This white paper delves into the critical issue of black carbon (BC) and its profound impacts on climate and health. While the detrimental effects of ultra-fine black carbon, a key component of PM2.5, have been well-documented, the global response to mitigating its emissions has been notably lackluster. To uncover the reasons behind this inadequate policy action, the paper analyzes five national case studies—Brazil, China, India, Nigeria, and the United States—highlighting the primary obstacles to effective BC reduction.
2024-07-15
Book Preface
In recent years, just transition has emerged as a key term in international climate governance and has become a crucial topic in the implementation of China’s “dual carbon” strategy. Under this background, the Institute for Global Decarbonization Progress (iGDP) has gathered a team of experts to compile and publish the book “Dual Carbon” Strategy and Just Transition. The work delves into the just transition China’s coal-dependent regions, providing a comprehensive, systematic, and in-depth analysis of the historical development of the just transition concept and its application both domestically and internationally.
The book preface provides an overview of just transition in China’s coal resource regions within the broader context of carbon neutrality and common prosperity goals.
2024-06-25
Data Manual 数据手册
iGDP’s Energy Data publication series (annual editions from 2014 to the present year) compiles data across key sectors published by China’s official statistics bureaus and industry associations, as well as by authoritative international energy agencies. The goal is to facilitate access by researchers and policymakers to comprehensive, multi-dimensional and long time-scale energy data that accurately captures China’s energy profile.
Compendium of Best Practices on Low-carbon Cities in North - East Asia
2024-03-06
Case Studies
As urbanization continues to rise in the NE Asia subregion, cities are playing a crucial role in implementing projects and policies to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and meet emissions reduction targets. The case studies presented in this compendium demonstrate how reducing emissions can positively impact various interconnected SDGs goals, such as poverty reduction, improved food and energy security, and enhanced ecosystems for wildlife and humans alike. The compendium aims to facilitate knowledge-sharing among cities and expedite the adoption of effective emissions reduction measures tailored to their specific local contexts.
2023
Building Sustainability into China's Agri-food System - Fourteen Case Studies
2023-11-30
Case Studies
This report presents fourteen case studies on actions being taken to drive China’s sustainable agri-food transition. The selection of cases is based on key mitigation actions that have been identified in previous research. They explore local practices under specific abatement actions and briefly analyze the key elements needed for replication. The cases show how different stakeholders in the agri-food system can help achieve emissions reduction through mechanism design and innovation, leading to economic, environmental, and social benefits.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You are free to share, copy, redistribute, remix, and adapt the material, provided you give appropriate credit to iGDP.
The Agri-Food System and Carbon Neutrality
2023-11-30
Report
To strengthen China’s response to global climate change and achieve the long-term goal of carbon neutrality, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of its agri-food system’s emissions and reduction possibilities. This report estimates China’s agri-food system GHG emissions by source and type, examines existing and new potential reduction efforts, and outlines key pathways and priority measures to achieve carbon neutrality in the agri-food system.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You are free to share, copy, redistribute, remix, and adapt the material, provided you give appropriate credit to iGDP.
CCNT Factsheets - An Overview of Provincial Climate Action and Progress in China
2023-08-23
Factsheets
Drawing on data from iGDP’s China Carbon Neutrality Tracker (CCNT), a policy database which tracks China’s climate actions at national, provincial, municipal levels, this compendium of thirty factsheets provides an overview of provincial climate progress and plans. Each factsheet includes 1) the provincial region’s basic information, such as GDP per capita, energy-related CO2 emissions, and GDP ranking; 2) historical emissions trends and decoupling status; 3) 14th Five-Year Plan climate targets and ambition in each provincial region; 4) the implementation of climate actions in the 13th Five-Year Plan period; and 5) a list of the local policies driving climate action.
Behind the Data - A Comparative Analysis of China’s Carbon Emission Data from Different Institutions
2023-07-19
Report
This report offers a comparative analysis of the methodologies and results associated with the most recently released China carbon emissions data by ten domestic and foreign research institutions. It maps out energy data sources and relations between databases, and provides an analysis of differences in energy data accounting methods.
China Carbon Neutrality Tracker 2022 Annual Report
Closing the Emissions Gap Through Subnational Climate Actions in China
2023-03-02
Report
The 2022 CCNT Annual Report provides insight into the actions being taken in China’s provincial regions. Drawing on iGDP’s China Carbon Neutrality Tracker (CCNT), which tracks China’s low carbon policy actions at all levels (national, provincial, municipal), the report provides an overview of carbon emission trends, climate action planning, and progress on policy implementation throughout China. The report also incorporates case studies to assess the adequacy of existing local policies to support the dual carbon goals, and makes recommendations to strengthen local climate action.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You are free to share, copy, redistribute, remix, and adapt the material, provided you give appropriate credit to iGDP.
2022 Global Coal Phaseout Progress Tracking Report
2023-01-19
Report
Drawing on information collected by iGDP’s Farewell Coal project, this report offers an overview of global coal phaseout efforts in 2022.
2022
Non-CO2 Emissions Policy Briefs
2022-11-22
Policy Brief
These six policy briefs explore mitigation of non-CO2 emissions in China. They describe the current status of China’s key non-CO2 emitting sectors, characterizing their emissions and offering policy suggestions.
2022-07-22
数据手册
iGDP’s Energy Data publication series (annual editions from 2014 to the present year) compiles data across key sectors published by China’s official statistics bureaus and industry associations, as well as by authoritative international energy agencies. The goal is to facilitate access by researchers and policymakers to comprehensive, multi-dimensional and long time-scale energy data that accurately captures China’s energy profile.
融绿未来 - 中国城市绿色低碳融资实践和探索报告集
2022-04-24
Report
This Chinese language report offers a comprehensive review the current status and ongoing challenges in investment and financing for green and low-carbon development in China’s cities. It includes discussions of green and low-carbon actions, investment needs, financing tools, and presents case studies that illustrate the application of green and low-carbon investment and financing.
NDC 3.0
2022-04-24
Policy Brief
This abbreviated version of our analysis of China’s second NDC captures every key finding in the larger report. It compares China’s 2015 and 2021 NDCs, and contextualizes China’s climate plans within the country’s broader development agenda.
China’s Emission Trading System Report Series
2022-04-06
Report
Together with Energy Innovation and the Institute of Finance and Sustainability, we recently helped put together a three-part report series on China’s emission trading system (ETS). China’s ETS is already the largest in the world, and will grow by more than half when additional sectors are added. The three reports describe measures to strengthen China’s ETS, get the most out of its emissions-reduction capacity and economic benefits, and promote cooperation with the European Union.
The Chinese language reports can be found below:
Leveraging Science Technology and Innovation for Low Carbon and Resilient Cities
2022-04-06
Report
Co-authored by ESCAP, ICLEI and iGDP, this report promotes the integrated development of cities around the Northeast Asia region. In addition to developing smarter urban planning, transport and awareness raising of climate actions through the adoption of modern information technology, it also looks at how cities are integrating micro-power sources such as rooftop solar and reducing their energy and water consumption through energy efficiency and water reuse projects, while delivering comfortable living in cities and reducing waste.
2021
What to Expect in China's Second Nationally Determined Contribution
2021-07-21
Report
This report is an updated version of our 2019 report on China’s NDC. It reviews new international and domestic sustainable development trends since the last report and discusses the implementation of China’s first NDC. The second part of the report draws on newly issued strategic plans and policies during the 13th and 14th Five-Year plan periods to explore the climate policy options that may shape China’s second NDC.
Comparative Study on Low Carbon City Development in China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea
2021-05-21
Report
This joint paper by iGDP, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) and Korea Environment Institute (KEI) analyses and compares the low carbon city policies and practices of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, with the goal of identifying sector-specific and city-specific good practices that may be instructive to researchers and policymakers in the wider NEA region. It examines key national-level carbon mitigation policies and sector-specific actions, reviews both top-down and bottom-up low carbon city policy-design and implementation mechanisms and describes fifteen case studies on greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions.
The study is part of UNESCAP‘s North-East Asia Low Carbon City Platform (NEA-LCCP) programme under the North-East Asian Subregional Programme for Environmental Cooperation (NEASPEC) and will be used in NEA-LCCP information-sharing activities and to promote regional cooperation on low carbon development and climate action.
China's Carbon Neutral Opportunity
2021-01-01
Report
This joint paper by Energy Innovation, innovative Green Development Program, and the Institute for Finance and Sustainability shows that China has the opportunity to, and should, strengthen its climate commitments by setting a target for peaking its carbon emissions before 2030.
The report shows how clean energy beats fossil fuel technologies on price and makes carbon neutrality an economic driver. By increasing the pace of its domestic clean energy transition, China can induce additional technological innovation to enhance the competitiveness of its clean technology firms, while at the same time improving its energy security and achieving earlier carbon peaking.
2020
Beyond 2°C - The Long-Term Emission Reduction Actions of Global Cities in Response to Climate Change
2020-10-30
Report
This report reviews and summarizes the actions taken by non-Chinese cities to achieve medium- and long-term emission reduction targets or “zero-carbon” emissions, with a specific focus on climate change-related target setting, plan development, and policy measures. It focuses on policies and actions that have significant reference-value for China’s cities with regard to long-term actions, and provides insights to policymakers and researchers interested in medium- and long-term deep emission reductions in cities around the world.
Towards Green and Low-Carbon Development in Chinese Cities
2020-07-20
Research Publication
This report presents an indicator system called Low-Carbon and Green Index for Cities (LOGIC) that evaluates the performance of Chinese cities in terms of low-carbon development and identifies areas for improvement. This system issues a score ranging from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating a better performance in lower carbon growth within a specified time period. LOGIC was applied to a sample of 115 Chinese cities representing a diverse range of population sizes, income levels, geographies and stages of economic and urban growth between 2010 and 2015.
iGDP 2019 Annual Report
2020-05-18
Annual Report
2019
iGDP 2019 Annual Report
2020-05-18
Annual Report
What to Expect in China's Second Nationally Determined Contribution
2019-12-06
Report
This report reviews the international and domestic sustainable development trends after the Paris Agreement, and discusses the implementation of China’s NDC. Drawing on China’s newly issued strategic plans and policies during the 13th Five-Year Plan period, it explores the climate policy options that may shape China’s next NDC.
Introducing an Absolute Carbon Cap Into China's 14th Five-Year Plan
2019-09-19
Working Paper
There is a need to set a strong economy-wide climate goal to decarbonize economic growth throughout China’s provinces. Without such a goal, a change in investment behavior toward green growth projects is unlikely to happen. Even with existing robust environmental policies and clean energy development objectives, the climate impact of China’s future economic growth remains unclear. With only a short time window left to meet global climate safety goals, introducing enhanced climate policies to limit China’s carbon emissions growth is crucial to the world’s sustainable development.
What to Expect in China's Second NDC - Report Summary
2019-09-19
Report
This report summary describes the main findings of our new report that reviews global and domestic trends in sustainable development, summarizes China’s new strategic plans and policies in the 13th Five-Year Plan period, details China’s progress in the implementation of its NDC, and describes potential updates for its next NDC.
iGDP 2018 Annual Report
2019-07-18
Annual Report
Energy Data 2018
2019-02-21
Data book
China Energy Data
The Energy Data publication series (annual editions from 2014 to the present year) compiles data across key sectors published by China’s official statistics bureaus and industry associations, as well as by authoritative international energy agencies. The goal is to facilitate access by researchers and policymakers to comprehensive, multi-dimensional and long time-scale energy data that accurately captures China’s energy profile. The English version of the 2018 Energy Data report contains 40 data energy indicator tables covering China’s energy economy, energy production and consumption, energy efficiency and technology, energy prices, and energy-related pollutant emissions and carbon emissions.
低碳发展和城市达峰中长期温室气体减排规划和行动方案
2019-01-30
报告
低碳城市
本指南旨在从科学性、系统性和可操作性三个方面提升低碳规划的质量，对要点、方法以及具体操作步骤提出了详细的建议和要求。供规划制定部门及技术支持团队参考使用。
China Green Finance Pilots Anniversary Review
2019-01-22
Report
Green Finance
2018
LOGIC: Low-carbon & Green Index for Cities
2018-09-13
Report
Low Carbon Cities
LOGIC provides a system to track progress, a database to evaluate performance, and an analytical tool to help cities identify improved solutions for low carbon and clean energy development, and early carbon peaking.
iGDP 2017 Annual Report
2018-08-02
Annual Report
2018低碳城市公众意识调查项目报告
2018-06-30
报告
低碳城市
策略传播
旨在了解中国公众对低碳概念的认知度，对公众对所在城市绿色低碳发展程度的满意度，对政府采取的低碳政策的支持度，以及公众在低碳行为上的参与度，力图展现中国公众低碳认知和行动的图景。
China’s Low Carbon Cities: Carbon Peak Pledges and Progress on Green Transition
2018-06-27
Factsheet
Low Carbon Cities
China’s Low Carbon Cities' Participation in Other Pilot Programs
2018-06-27
Factsheet
Wuhan's Green Transformation Path
2018-06-22
Infographic
Wuhan's Green and Low Carbon Development Milestones
2018-06-22
Infographic
Wuhan Low Carbon Development Strategy and Policy Practices Background Report
2018-06-22
Report
An Integrated Strategy to Assist China's Cities in Achieving an Early Carbon Emissions Peak
2018-01-08
Working Paper
2017
Recommendations on Principles and Objective-Setting for Low-Carbon Pilots
2017-09-06
Working Paper
iGDP 2015-2016 Annual Report
2017-07-01
Annual Report
2016
Upgrading the Power Dispatch Mechanism
2016-12-15
Working Paper
Alliance of Peaking Pioneer Cities Action Fact Sheet
2016-07-15
Working Paper
Establishing an Environmental Tax
2016-02-29
Working Paper
2015
Low Carbon Cities in China National Policies and City Action Factsheet
2015-09-01
Factsheet
