Environment & Energy
Related: About this forumWell, That Was Fast - Chinese Official Begins To Downplay Scope, Timing Of Possible Emission Cuts
Last edited Tue Jun 10, 2014, 07:40 AM - Edit history (1)
Any near-term regulation of China's greenhouse gas emissions would likely allow for future emissions growth, a senior government official said on Monday, discounting any suggestion of imminent carbon cuts by the biggest-emitting nation.
Sun CuihuaSun Cuihua, deputy director of the climate change office at the National Development and Reform Commission, said it would be a simplification to suggest China would impose an absolute cap on greenhouse gas emissions from 2016.
No decision had yet been taken on a cap and the timing of such a measure was under discussion, she said. Several options were being considered and China would choose policies in accordance with its conditions and stage of development.
"Our understanding of the word 'cap' is different from developed countries," Sun told a conference. An emission cap, whether imposed economy-wide or only on enterprises covered by a national carbon market, could be adjusted incrementally to allow for China's status as a devloping country with growing energy consumption, she said.
Ed. - Well allright then!
EDIT
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jun/09/chinese-official-plays-down-emission-cut-expectations
FBaggins
(26,697 posts)The Chinese government never said or implied that they were going to implement a hard cap. A university professor that advises the government on climate change hinted at that in a climate conference, and (without interviewing actual government officials), Reuters ran their China pledges to limit carbon emissions for first time piece. The problem is that these advisors have been recommending this for years, and those recommendations haven't translated into reality.
That university professor has made pretty clear that he doesn't speak for the government... nor even for the other experts.
So this isn't even a "downplay" so much as a correction/clarification.