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China’s Paris pledge on climate change: inadequate and irresponsible

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  • Paul G. Harris

    (Education University of Hong Kong)

Abstract

This essay critically assesses China’s pledge—its “intended nationally determined contributions”—toward achieving objectives of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. It addresses some potential misconceptions about China’s pledge, including their inadequacy relative to the scale of pollution causing climate change and the dangers posed by its impacts. China’s pledge is little more than business as usual. Significant ethical obligations arise from China’s role as the largest national source of greenhouse gas pollution and home to hundreds of millions of affluent consumers. The Paris Agreement disregards such obligations. The inadequacy and irresponsibility of China’s Paris pledge exposes some fundamental flaws in the international climate change negotiations and agreements, demonstrating that science and environmental studies cannot be disconnected from ethics and justice.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul G. Harris, 2017. "China’s Paris pledge on climate change: inadequate and irresponsible," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 7(1), pages 102-107, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jenvss:v:7:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1007_s13412-017-0422-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s13412-017-0422-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Miranda A. Schreurs, 2016. "The Paris Climate Agreement and the Three Largest Emitters: China, the United States, and the European Union," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(3), pages 219-223.
    2. ZhongXiang Zhang, 2017. "Are China's climate commitments in a post‐Paris agreement sufficiently ambitious?," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 8(2), March.
    3. Radoslav S. Dimitrov, 2016. "The Paris Agreement on Climate Change: Behind Closed Doors," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 16(3), pages 1-11, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jilong Yang, 2022. "Understanding China’s changing engagement in global climate governance: a struggle for identity," Asia Europe Journal, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 357-376, December.

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