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Comprehensive plan to fight climate change

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-10-30 15:22

I. Climate Change and China's Situation

The latest scientific research findings show that the average temperature of the Earth's surface has increased by 0.74 C over the past century, from 1906 to 2005, and is expected to further rise by 1.1 to 6.4 C by the end of the 21st century. The rise of global average temperatures since the mid-20th century is mainly caused by the increasing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, chiefly consisting of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, emitted as a result of human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels and changes of land use.

China's temperature rise has basically kept pace with global warming. The latest information released by the China Meteorological Administration shows that the average temperature of the Earth's surface in China has risen by 1.1 C over the past century, from 1908 to 2007, and that China experienced 21 warm winters from 1986 to 2007, the latter being the warmest year since the beginning of systematic meteorological observations in 1951.

Scientific research predicts that climate warming trend in China will further intensify; frequency of extreme climate events is likely to wax; uneven distribution of precipitation will be more visible than before and the occurrence of heavy precipitation will increase; drought will expand in scope; and the sea level will rise faster than ever.

The basic conditions of China present the country with great challenges in addressing issues regarding climate change.

A man wallks across a resevoir in Mingqin, Gansu province, which dried up due to desertification, in this file photo. [China Daily]

A complex climate and a fragile eco-environment determine that China's task of adapting itself to climate change is arduous. China is characterized by a continental monsoon climate, and most parts of China have a wider range of seasonal temperature change compared with other continental areas at the same latitude. China has a fragile eco-environment, with serious soil erosion and desertification.

A large population and a relatively low level of economy determine that China's development task is a formidable one. The population of the mainland of China reached 1.3 billion at the end of 2007, accounting for 20 percent of the world's total. The large population also brings huge employment pressure.

China is characterized by unbalanced regional economic development and is still nagged by a large income gap between urban and rural residents.

China's ongoing industrialization process and its coal-dominated energy mix determine that its task of controlling greenhouse gas emissions is a tough one. Historically, China's greenhouse gas emissions have been very low. According to data from relevant international research institutions, from 1904 to 2004, carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel burning in China made up only 8 percent of the world's total over the same period, and cumulative emissions per capita ranked 92nd in the world. China's carbon dioxide emissions from energy consumption in 2004 totaled 5.07 billion tons. To advance further toward its development objectives, China will strive for rational growth of energy demand, which is the basic precondition for the progress of all developing countries.

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