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Energy and Climate Change in China

Author

Listed:
  • Carlo Carraro

    (University of Venice and Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei)

  • Emanuele Massetti

    (Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei and Euro-Mediterranean Centre for Climate Change)

Abstract

The paper examines future energy and emissions scenarios in China, presenting historical data and scenarios generated using the Integrated Assessment Model WITCH. A Business-as-Usual scenario is compared with four scenarios in which Greenhouse Gases emissions are taxed, at different levels. Key insights are provided to evaluate the Chinese pledge to reduce the emissions intensity of Gross Domestic Product by 40/45 percent in 2020 contained in the Copenhagen Accord. Marginal and total abatement costs are discussed using the OECD economies as a term of comparison. Cost estimates for different emissions reduction targets are used to assess the political feasibility of the 50 percent global reduction target set by the G8 and Major Economies Forum in July 2009.

Suggested Citation

  • Carlo Carraro & Emanuele Massetti, 2011. "Energy and Climate Change in China," Working Papers 2011.16, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    • Handle: RePEc:fem:femwpa:2011.16
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bosetti, Valentina & Carraro, Carlo & Massetti, Emanuele & Tavoni, Massimo, 2008. "International energy R&D spillovers and the economics of greenhouse gas atmospheric stabilization," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(6), pages 2912-2929, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Emanuele Massetti, 2011. "Carbon tax scenarios for China and India: exploring politically feasible mitigation goals," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 11(3), pages 209-227, September.
    2. Yingying Lu & David I. Stern, 2016. "Substitutability and the Cost of Climate Mitigation Policy," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 64(1), pages 81-107, May.
    3. Tiaoye Li & Lingjiang Tao & Mi Zhang, 2024. "Projection of Non-Industrial Electricity Consumption in China’s Pearl River Delta under Global Warming Scenarios," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-17, February.
    4. Li, Chuan-Zhong & Wei, Chu & Yu, Yang, 2020. "Income threshold, household appliance ownership and residential energy consumption in urban China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    5. Hübler, Michael & Voigt, Sebastian & Löschel, Andreas, 2014. "Designing an emissions trading scheme for China—An up-to-date climate policy assessment," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 57-72.
    6. Carlo Carraro & Emanuele Massetti, 2012. "Beyond Copenhagen: a realistic climate policy in a fragmented world," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 110(3), pages 523-542, February.
    7. Vicki Duscha & Katja Schumacher & Joachim Schleich & Pierre Buisson, 2014. "Costs of meeting international climate targets without nuclear power," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(3), pages 327-352, May.
    8. Lu, Yingying & Stegman, Alison & Cai, Yiyong, 2013. "Emissions intensity targeting: From China's 12th Five Year Plan to its Copenhagen commitment," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 1164-1177.
    9. Perrings, Charles, 2014. "Environment and development economics 20 years on," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 19(3), pages 333-366, June.
    10. Massetti, Emanuele & Tavoni, Massimo, 2012. "A developing Asia emission trading scheme (Asia ETS)," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(S3), pages 436-443.
    11. Pedro Antonio Martín Cervantes & Nuria Rueda López & Salvador Cruz Rambaud, 2020. "Life Expectancy at Birth in Europe: An Econometric Approach Based on Random Forests Methodology," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-17, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Climate Change; China; Energy Efficiency; Energy and Development;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q4 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy

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