announced that they want to encourage China’s growth via domestic consumption, rather than concentrating on the export sector. This will also impact on emissions,” says
Luukkanen. “Another thereby significant
development is the relaxation of the one- child policy, which could enlarge the population,
stimulating extra
energy demand.” He also notes that the country’s eco-cities, such as a planned flagship project in Tianjin, intended to house 350,000 residents by 2020, could also create influential national precedents. “China has a strong environmental
policy, which lately appears more robustly enforced,”
observes Luukkanen.
“Recently, there have been instances where new coal power plants have been refused planning permission, due to health and environmental concerns. Air pollution, or ‘smog’ which frequently engulfs major cities like Beijing and Shanghai, makes clear that these are very tangible problems for many inhabitants.” To control them, targets for energy reductions have been introduced, and incentivising energy tariffs for green generation implemented.
for the burden of climate change,” suggests Luukkanen. Surprisingly, the project has already determined numerous similarities between the EU and China, notably in their mutual implementation of feed-in-tariffs and a ‘bottom up’, consultative approach to eco-city planning. By sharing their respective concerns and
approaches to the emissions problem, the team believe that both nations could develop
mutually beneficial policy
responses. “Creating this type of understanding between the EU and China hasn’t always been easy,” says Luukkanen. “But clearly, their respective environmental positions, and goals, now share some important commonalities. We hope that this could lead to the development of joint solutions which could benefit both parties.” Facilitating intercultural dialogue is an
important aim of the project, which will be fulfilled through high-profile conferences and seminars to be hosted in Helsinki and China during 2014. Policymakers from both nations will be in attendance, which, hopes Luukkanen, “could help to forge future alliances which explore synergetic possibilities.” A
AT A GLANCE Project Information
Project Title: CHEC: China and EU in the context of global climate change: - analysis of changing economic structures and related policies
Project Objective: The objective of the research is to carry out a comparative analysis of China and the EU in the context of climate change policies and the development of their socio-economic structures. Several scenarios are constructed for the energy demand and the various policy options to impact future sustainability.
Project Duration and Timing: 3 years, January 2012 to December 2014
Project Funding: Academy of Finland, 585 836 €
Project Partners: Chinese Academy of Social Science (CASS)
MAIN CONTACT
“Air pollution, or ‘smog’ which frequently engulfs major cities like Beijing and Shanghai, makes clear that these are very tangible problems for many inhabitants”
Statistically, China’s emissions policy
actually appears superior to that of the west, based on certain interpretations of output levels. A benchmarking study carried out by the project concluded that China’s per
capita levels were notably
lower than in US or EU contexts, but also that its economic development was far more closely linked to emission rates than those of its comparators. Hence, the favourable data partly reflects the country’s success at inhibiting emissions, but also its holistic status, since many parts of the nation remain undeveloped. “Consequently, a key goal for the leadership is to facilitate economic progress, whilst simultaneously curbing energy usage,” summarises Luukkanen. One scenario considered by the
researchers is that China’s per capita emission levels ultimately match those of the EU and US. “If this occurs, then perhaps China might accept a greater responsibility
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keynote speech will be delivered in Helsinki by Dr R K Pachauri, chief of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and Chinese delegates will also attend, in addition to representatives from industry and the scientific world. “These forums present an important opportunity for EU and Chinese policymakers to share their expertise, and connect over matters of mutual importance,” says Luukkanen. “However, our research will not fully conclude in 2014. Following this, we hope to undertake future projects that examine Chinese economic development in even greater detail – not just at national level, but also within
its provinces. Many local
variations here exist, such as regional prosperity, which are crucial to China’s emerging affluence and enduring political stability. It’s essential for us to consider how these might develop, and the wider implications for the planet.”
★ 87
Jyrki Luukkanen Dr. Jyrki Luukkanen is a Research Director in Finland Futures Research Centre of University of Turku. He has been director of numerous international projects dealing with energy, environment and development issues. His research projects are in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and China as well as in Eastern Africa, Caribbean and Europe.
Contact: Tel: +358 2 333 9832 Email:
jyrki.luukkanen.utu.fi Web:
www.utu.fi/en/units/ffrc/re- search/projects/Pages/
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