Part B essay question For Final Exam.
Dating back to the early 1990s, the Republic of China has maintained its status of being a top investor in constructing coal power plants, which is the primary contributor to Co2 gas emission. According to findings by Cecilia Springer, a specialist in science and international affairs, she deduced that China contributes to about 15% of the total CO2 gas emissions, with the carbon market contributing to 50% of the emissions domestically (Springer, 2020). Since the year 1992, the country has seen a drastic rise in the volume of CO2 emissions, releasing 9,838.8 million metric tons’ worth of carbon emissions, the source of fossil fuel. With these findings, the trend is worrying indeed especially knowing how much of an imminent threat climate change is.
By the year 2000, china already accounted for 70% of the new coal production plants globally. Since then, China continuously constructed and expanded its existing coal energy reserve to maintain its economic position as well as serve its massive population. Keeping in mind the fact that China has the highest population, by the year 2016, China had a massive demand for energy ranging between 1526 and 1646, thus the expansive energy production Wang (2020). By 201o and 2015, the country even moved an extra mile to expand its coal production on its autonomous region and a dozen of its provinces increasing its capacity to more than the following top five nations
Committed emissions are yet another crucial concept in considering GHG emissions as indicated by Wang (2020), showing its current rates in Figure 4. Indeed, the current excess coal plants are not the only matter that raises our eyebrows, but also the threat posed by GHG expected to be emitted by the committed firms, during their lifetime. Even though the best alternative course of action to be taken by the government would be to shut down these firms, this would not be possible because these firms have committed to a lifetime, before being put to an end.
Having known that the currently available choice is to exist with the committed emissions until their lifetime expires, it leaves us with very few options. First and foremost, eliminating setting up measures preventing the committed firms from using the dirty call which is much more preferred especially by the steel manufactures would be an option. Additionally, shutting down the firms that are close to ending their lifetime and those emit excess carbon would be an alternative and in turn compensating them. This is considering the protection of future generations.
In the advancement towards mitigating the effects of climate change, the Republic of China made four comments targeted to be achieved by the year 2030. First and foremost, they aimed at peaking carbon dioxide emissions by 2030. Additionally, there was the objective of meeting a minimized CO2 emission per unit GDP by up to 60% from the previous 2005 level. Increment of the use of non-fossil energy sources for basic energy consumption to 20%. Lastly, there was the expansion of the forest volume by 4.5 million cubic meters, up from the 2005 level PRC NDRC (2015). Despite the various commitments pledged by the Chinese government, most of the set measures were mainly targeted at reducing CO2 emissions from the imminent source which is coal. Additionally, extensively switching to renewable energy sources would be impossible since the use of coal generation in energy production
References
Davis, Steven J, and Robert H Socolow. “Commitment Accounting Of CO 2 Emissions”. Environmental Research Letters, vol 9, no. 8, 2014, p. 084018. IOP Publishing, doi:10.1088/1748-9326/9/8/084018.
Springer, Cicilia. China’S National Carbon Market: Paradox And Productivity. Havard University, 2020, Accessed 13 Oct 2020.
Wang, XI. The Chinese Electricity System And The Long-Term Climate Change Effects Of China’S Coal Generation Overcapacity. 2020, Accessed 13 Oct 2020.