China’s Climate Policy: Governing at the Core of Globalization

• Main Author: Balme, Richard
• Other Authors: Centre d'études européennes et de politique comparée (CEE), Sciences Po (Sciences Po)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2011
• Subjects: [SHS.SCIPO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Political science; Carbon and Climate Law Review
• Online Access: https://hal-sciencespo.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02186610

The issues faced by the People's Republic of China (PRC) in formulating its climate policydo not come from a denial of the reality of climate change, nor form a reluctance tointroduce new policies and regulations at the domestic level. They stem rather from generaldifficulties relating to the effective implementation of regulations in the Chinesepolitical system, and primarily from the incompatibility of different objectives, in particularthe achievement of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions with the technologyavailable and the growth of the Chinese economy, both in intensity and in content.One of the interesting paradoxes of this situation concerns the centrality of China'sgrowth model for the global economy, meaning that this country's domestic regulationhas potentially far-reaching implications for the major economies worldwide. Withoutfurther significant changes in the structure of the political economy of developed countries,China will neither want, nor be able, to bring about any rapid change in its developmentpath. To explain this situation, this paper reviews the drivers of policy developmentsaddressing climate change in the PRC before describing the policy instrumentsselected by China in the formulation of its climate change policy. The paper also considersthe position of the PRC in international climate change negotiations. Finally, itexamines the implementation of these policies and assesses their capacity to effectuatea low carbon transition in China.