Promoting Green and Low-Carbon Development to Address Challenges of Climate Change

2017 ◽  
Vol 05 (02) ◽  
pp. 1750008
Author(s):  
Zhenhua XIE
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Address Climate Change ◽  
Development Path ◽  
International Obligation ◽  
Key Concepts ◽  
Low Carbon Development ◽  
Major Progress

A general consensus has been developed to proactively address climate change and promote green and low-carbon development in the international community. China, as a responsible major developing country, takes green and low-carbon development not only as its due international obligation to tackle global climate change, but also a priority in the implementation of the “Five Key Concepts for Development” ( http://keywords.china.org.cn/2016-03/01/content_37907679.htm ) and the realization of the “Two Centenary Goals” ( http://www.china.org.cn/china/china_key_words/2014-11/18/content_34158771.htm ). In this paper, the author reviews the major progress in tackling climate change worldwide in recent years, explores the nature of climate change based on the experiences of developed countries and China’s choice of development path, and analyzes China’s achievements and future development potential in green and low-carbon development.

Road to Paris: The Changed and Unchanged in International Responsibility System

2016 ◽  
Vol 04 (01) ◽  
pp. 1650006
Author(s):  
Jiahua PAN ◽  
Mou WANG ◽  
Yongxiang ZHANG ◽  
Zhe LIU ◽  
Xiaodan WU
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Emission Reduction ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Technical Assistance ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
International Responsibility ◽  
Responsibility System

Since the conclusion of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992, a number of adjustments have been made in the patterns of international economy, trade, emissions, etc. Developing countries have increased rapidly in their share in global economy, trade as well as emissions, which led to some Parties to the Convention, mainly developed country Parties, faltering on their recognition of the responsibility system of the global response to climate change, and requiring developing countries to undertake responsibility for emission reduction and even financial assistance, intending to transfer obligations and costs in coping with climate change to developing countries. In fact, although the share of developing countries has increased in global economy, trade and emissions, the basic pattern that developed countries account for the absolute majority in cumulative CO2 emissions and control the international financial, trading, technology, and standard systems has not changed. The international responsibility system to deal with climate change has not changed fundamentally, either. Developed countries should continue to lead the global climate initiative, and provide financial and technical assistance to developing countries; developing countries should also take the path of low-carbon development while actively making full use of support from the international community in poverty alleviation and development process. At the Paris Climate Change Conference, Parties should participate in the negotiations with a constructive attitude, actively make planning and implement emission reduction actions, as well as build a fair and efficient financial mechanism, to promote climate-friendly technologies worldwide, establish an open and cooperative international trading system, and jointly facilitate the international cooperation on tackling climate change as a new momentum for global economic growth, so as to protect global climate security.

scholarly journals The Impacts and Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Global Response to Climate Change

2021 ◽  
pp. 2150007
Author(s):  
Ying CHEN ◽  
Weiping SHEN
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
World War Ii ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Virus Transmission ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Climate Governance ◽  
Governance Process ◽  
Low Carbon Development ◽  
Climate Crisis

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has posed the most severe impact on the global economy and society since World War II. The pandemic has brought into focus how climate change is related with virus transmission and health, and has made the global transition toward low-carbon development more difficult and challenged the implementation of the Paris Agreement. Although the pandemic has significantly reduced carbon emissions and improved the environmental quality in the short term, it is still an unwanted event in the process of pursuing sustainable development; although objectively the pandemic has weakened countries’ efforts in terms of policies and actions to address climate change, the restructuring of global value chains in the post-COVID era has also brought new opportunities for a transition toward green and low-carbon development; although the pandemic has warned people of how important resilient governance and international cooperation is to addressing the crisis, the global climate governance process has come to a complete standstill since the outbreak of COVID-19, attenuating the mutual trust among countries and disabling the leadership in climate governance. The pandemic is a preview of the climate crisis, and it is important to learn from it for a better response. China quickly contained the pandemic within the country, actively resumed work and production, and gained a first-mover advantage in economic recovery. China should maintain strategic focus when pursuing ecological development, enhance the resilience of the socio-economic system, seize the opportunity of transitioning toward low-carbon development by turning the crisis into opportunities, and promote high-quality development within the country while fully engaging in global climate governance to seek ecological progress with other countries.

scholarly journals Research on Assessment Index System for Low-carbon Development

2021 ◽  
Vol 275 ◽  
pp. 02008
Author(s):  
Chengzhi Niu ◽  
Yougan Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Climate Change ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Indicator System ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Analytic Hierarchy ◽  
Assessment Index ◽  
Development Indicators ◽  
Development Indicator ◽  
Low Carbon Development

Due to the severe situation of global climate change and depletion of energy resources, low-carbon development has become an inevitable choice for global climate change and maintaining sustainable economic and social development. In order to promote low-carbon development, we should scientifically evaluate the low-carbon development status of a country, economy or region. At present, the research on low-carbon evaluation indicators is still in the exploratory stage. There are not many low-carbon indicators that are really used in practice, and there is currently no recognized and authoritative low-carbon evaluation indicator system. Based on this, this article attempts to use the analytic hierarchy process to further study the low-carbon development indicator system, to establish a scientific and objective system of low-carbon development indicators, and use such an indicator system to guide and promote low-carbon development.

scholarly journals Interrogating Climate Adaptation Financing in Zimbabwe: Proposed Direction

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6517
Author(s):  
Innocent Chirisa ◽  
Trynos Gumbo ◽  
Veronica N. Gundu-Jakarasi ◽  
Washington Zhakata ◽  
Thomas Karakadzai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Climate Adaptation ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Coastal Zones ◽  
Resource Base

Reducing vulnerability to climate change and enhancing the long-term coping capacities of rural or urban settlements to negative climate change impacts have become urgent issues in developing countries. Developing countries do not have the means to cope with climate hazards and their economies are highly dependent on climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, water, and coastal zones. Like most countries in Southern Africa, Zimbabwe suffers from climate-induced disasters. Therefore, this study maps critical aspects required for setting up a strong financial foundation for sustainable climate adaptation in Zimbabwe. It discusses the frameworks required for sustainable climate adaptation finance and suggests the direction for success in leveraging global climate financing towards building a low-carbon and climate-resilient Zimbabwe. The study involved a document review and analysis and stakeholder consultation methodological approach. The findings revealed that Zimbabwe has been significantly dependent on global finance mechanisms to mitigate the effects of climate change as its domestic finance mechanisms have not been fully explored. Results revealed the importance of partnership models between the state, individuals, civil society organisations, and agencies. Local financing institutions such as the Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe (IDBZ) have been set up. This operates a Climate Finance Facility (GFF), providing a domestic financial resource base. A climate change bill is also under formulation through government efforts. However, numerous barriers limit the adoption of adaptation practices, services, and technologies at the scale required. The absence of finance increases the vulnerability of local settlements (rural or urban) to extreme weather events leading to loss of life and property and compromised adaptive capacity. Therefore, the study recommends an adaptation financing framework aligned to different sectoral policies that can leverage diverse opportunities such as blended climate financing. The framework must foster synergies for improved impact and implementation of climate change adaptation initiatives for the country.

International Governance on Carbon Tariff and Its Vacuum in International Regime

2013 ◽  
Vol 01 (01) ◽  
pp. 1350008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mou WANG
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
International Trade ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
International Governance ◽  
International Consensus ◽  
Climate Governance ◽  
Emission Quota ◽  
Carbon Tariff

Drawing on the idea that countries are eligible to implement differentiated emission reduction policies based on their respective capabilities, some parties of UNFCCC attempt to weaken the principle of “Common but differentiated responsibilities(CBDR)” and impose carbon tariff on international trade. This initiative is in fact another camouflage to burden developing countries with emission cut obligation, which has no doubt undermined the development rights of developing countries. This paper defines Carbon Tariff as border measures that target import goods with embodied carbon emission. It can be import tariffs or other domestic tax measures that adjust border tax, which includes plain import tariffs and export rebates, border tax adjustment, emission quota and permit etc. For some developed countries, carbon tariffs mean to sever trade protectionism and to build trade barriers. Its theoretical arguments like “loss of comparative advantage”, “carbon leakage decreases environmental effectiveness” and “theoretical model bases” are pseudo-propositions without international consensus. Carbon tariff has become an intensively debated issue due to its duality of climate change and trade, but neither UNFCCC nor WTO has clarified this issue or has indicated a clear statement in this regard. As a result, it allows some parties to take advantage of this loophole and escape its international climate change obligation. Carbon tariff is an issue arising from global climate governance. To promote the cooperation of global climate governance and safeguard the social and economic development of developing countries, a fair and justified climate change regime and international trade institution should be established, and the settlement of the carbon tariff issue should be addressed within these frameworks. This paper argues that the international governance of carbon tariff should in cooperation with other international agreements; however, principles and guidelines regarding this issue should be developed under the UNFCCC. Based on these principles and guidelines, WTO can develop related technical operation provisions.

Alternative scenarios for the future of the Canadian boreal zone1

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
James W.N. Steenberg ◽  
Peter N. Duinker ◽  
Irena F. Creed ◽  
Jacqueline N. Serran ◽  
Camille Ouellet Dallaire
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Adaptive Capacity ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Boreal Zone ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Carbon Economy

In response to global climate change, Canada is transitioning towards a low-carbon economy and the need for policy approaches that are effective, equitable, coordinated, and both administratively and politically feasible is high. One point is clear; the transition is intimately tied to the vast supply of ecosystem services in the boreal zone of Canada. This paper describes four contrasting futures for the boreal zone using scenario analysis, which is a transdisciplinary, participatory approach that considers alternative futures and policy implications under conditions of high uncertainty and complexity. The two critical forces shaping the four scenarios are the global economy’s energy and society’s capacity to adapt. The six drivers of change are atmospheric change, the demand for provisioning ecosystem services, the demand for nonprovisioning ecosystem services, demographics, and social values, governance and geopolitics, and industrial innovation and infrastructure. The four scenarios include: (i) the Green Path, where a low-carbon economy is coupled with high adaptive capacity; (ii) the Uphill Climb, where a low-carbon economy is instead coupled with low adaptive capacity; (iii) the Carpool Lane, where society has a strong capacity to adapt but a reliance on fossil fuels; and (iv) the Slippery Slope, where there is both a high-carbon economy and a society with low adaptive capacity. The scenarios illustrate the importance of transitioning to a low-carbon economy and the role of society’s adaptive capacity in doing so. However, they also emphasize themes like social inequality and adverse environmental outcomes arising from the push towards climate change mitigation.

scholarly journals Exploring a Low-Carbon Development Path for Vietnam

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Audinet ◽  
Bipul Singh ◽  
Duane T. Kexel ◽  
Suphachol Suphachalasai ◽  
Pedzi Makumbe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Carbon ◽  
Development Path ◽  
Low Carbon Development

Transitioning to Low Carbon Mobility

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debbie Hopkins ◽  
James Higham
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Substantial Contribution ◽  
Transport Sector ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
The World ◽  
Environmental Transformation ◽  
Context Specific

Since the turn of the 21st Century, the world has experienced unprecedented economic, political, social and environmental transformation. The ‘inconvenient truth’ of climate change is now undeniable; rising temperatures and the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme events have resulted in the loss of lives, livelihoods and habitats as well as straining economies. Increasingly mobile lives are often dependent on high carbon modes of transport, representing a substantial contribution to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the underlying cause of anthropogenic climate change. With growing demand and rising emissions, the transport sector has a critical role to play in achieving GHG emissions reductions, and stabilising the global climate. Low Carbon Mobility Transitions draws interdisciplinary insights on transport and mobilities, as a vast and complex socio-technical system. It presents 15 chapters and 6 shorter ‘case studies’ covering a diversity of themes and geographic contexts across three thematic sections: People and Place, Structures in Transition, and Innovations for Low Carbon Mobility. The three sections are highly interrelated, and with overlapping, complementing, and challenging themes. The contributions offer critical, often neglected insights into low carbon mobility transitions across the world. In doing so, Low Carbon Mobility Transitions sheds light on the place- and context-specific nature of mobility in a climate constrained world.

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