Using innovation to fight climate change
- By Wan Gang
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E-mail China Daily, November 30, 2015
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Chinese President Xi Jinping addresses the annual high-level general debate of the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, the United States, Sept 28, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua] |
The international community is actively promoting a new governance system to cope with climate change - a challenge to humankind as a whole. China, as one of the most severely climate change-influenced countries, is using scientific and technological innovation as a tool to address the problem, which has given us precious experience to explore a climate-resilient and sustainable development path.
Innovative steps to cope with challenges
As it is the true calling of its economic transition to address climate change challenges, China has taken scientific innovation as the effective measure to transit to a green and sustainable development path by initiating the Scientific & Technological Actions on Climate Change and the 12th Five-Year Plan for Scientific and Technological Development Plan on Climate Change in 2007.
The achievements include three major aspects.
Firstly, breakthroughs in key technologies have been made in major industries to help save energy and reduce emissions. A succession of low-cost energy-saving technologies have been developed to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the construction industry, coal-fired power plants, and cement and chemical industries.
For example, the ultra-super-critical technology is helping power plants save 29.4 million metric tons of coal every year. The low-temperature power generation using waste heat from cement kilns cuts carbon dioxide emissions by 16,000 tons a year; and a new type of process reduces energy consumption in production of electrolytic aluminum by 2 billion kilowatt-hours a year.
Between 2010 and 2014, China managed to reduce the country's energy consumptions per unit of GDP by 13.4 percent and CO2 emissions per unit of GDP by 15.8 percent via scientific advancement.
Secondly, scientific innovation has upgraded industries. China has been developing energy-saving and new-energy industries in full swing. The country's investment into new energy-related industries accounts for 40 percent of the world total.
We have managed to commercialize the 6-megawatt direct-drive permanent magnet wind power generator, while the total installed wind power capacity has reached 28,000 megawatt.
Electric cars have also developed fast in China. By October this year, 333,000 electric vehicles had already plying the roads of 39 cities across China. There are also major breakthroughs in carbon capture use and storage (CCUS) technologies with the construction of China's first CCUS pilot project, which has promising prospects for power generation, displacement of reservoir oil and the chemical industry.
Thirdly, China has been expanding its innovation capacity to develop a climate-resilient economy. Even if the strictest measures were taken internationally in the coming decades, it will still be impossible to shield the planet from the negative influence of global warming. As a result, it is necessary to increase countries' capacities to adapt to climate change.
We have established a weather monitoring and forecast system, which played an important role in the drought relief in Southwest China in 2010. We have also addressed the problems of regional water resources and frozen soil with new technologies.
Bigger role for scientific advancement
To achieve China's development goal, it is necessary to balance human resources and the environment, as well as the economic and social development through scientific innovations.
Firstly, we should increase our capacity to cope with climate change through systematic study of key technologies. China is now drafting the 13th Five-Year Plan for Scientific and Technological Development Plan on Climate Change to make top-level design.
Secondly, we should evaluate the influences and risks brought about by climate change, so as to provide support for decision-makers. We will carry out the fourth national climate change assessment in 2016 to analyze the challenges and opportunities.
Thirdly, efforts should be made to create favorable market environment for climate-friendly technologies. We will borrow the mechanisms of developed countries to help combine market demands with technology suppliers.
Fourthly, international cooperation will be strengthened to boost technological innovation. And China will actively establish joint research centers with other countries, and initiate regional and global climate change research plans, both to improve the research capacity of all participants and to provide experience and assistance for other developing countries.
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