Climate change and energy law

China is under considerable pressure to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change. Facing this situation, China has passed various national policies and regulatory documents that aim to promote sustainable development and to fulfill its reduction responsibility. All these documents are expected to serve as the policy and legal guarantee to further enhance China’s capabilities for addressing climate change in spite of the different characteristics of the three phases. Moreover, China’s attempts to address CO2 emissions have predominantly focused on legislation in areas such as energy efficiency, the feed-in tariff under its renewables law, other specific laws for energy-related industries or promoting a low-carbon economy. In addition, the Chinese Government has formed an institutional framework to address climate change and is making efforts to deepen the reform of energy management and decision systems. Nevertheless, the only way for China to meet the challenge of climate change is to develop a low-carbon economy.