China’s climate policy: does an Arctic dimension exist?

• Main Authors: Heggelund, Gørild, Han, Cheng
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Polar Research Institute of China - PRIC 2016
• Subjects: Atmosphere; Law and Policy; Arctic; Pillar; Advances in Polar Science; Arctic Council; Climate change; Polar Science
• Online Access: http://library.arcticportal.org/2603/; http://library.arcticportal.org/2603/1/A170221000001.pdf

The article discusses whether and to what extent an Arctic dimension in Chinese climate policy exists, and whether there are signs of potential linkages between China’s engagement in the Arctic and its domestic climate policies. Although the Arctic is not directly addressed in domestic climate policy, the article concludes that an Arctic dimension exists, in the following areas: the growing awareness in China of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, climate risk, resilience and vulnerability, which has contributed to increased attention to climatic change in the Arctic and its impact on China; polar scientific research, which is largely climate related, plays a significant role in determining China’s Arctic climate agenda; China’s climate policymaking and domestic institutional set-up is a contributing factor to climate engagement in the Arctic; China’s status as an observer nation in the Arctic Council might potentially raise the profile of domestic climate policies and lead to the addition of an Arctic pillar to national climate change strategies.