Pursuing a Low-Carbon Action Plan: The Case of Chongqing City

Abstract

China has committed to stabilize its greenhouse gas emissions and increase the percent of non-fossil fuel energy to 20% by 2030. This goal will require significant programmatic and policy changes across all sectors of its economy. The challenge is how to make these changes without incurring measurable political and economic costs. Ideally governments will draw lessons from efforts in other countries, but the Chinese system is unique. Hence it has created its own learning experiences by investing in multiple pilot policies and programs at the provincial and city levels.

Many of China’s cities are very large and include multiple districts, counties, and neighborhoods; and each one can serve as the locus of a separate low carbon pilot. These pilots are designed by local officials that are informed by guidelines from the central government. Thus, China often will have many “policy experiments” all taking place simultaneously. Lessons from these pilots are then used in the development of national and provincial programs and guidelines that shape future local initiatives across the country. These pilots are the ultimate example of “learning by doing.”

In designing low-carbon development strategies, China has relied heavily on multiple pilots. In 2010 and 2012, its National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) approved pilots to reduce carbon emissions in six provinces and 36 cities. One of the cities was Chongqing, which is one of the largest cities in the world, measured by area (82,400 square kilometers) or by population (30.16 million people). To put Chongqing in perspective, the city’s population is about 77% of that of California’s. It is divided into 21 districts and 17 counties. In 2015, its GDP reached $240 billion, which is equivalent to Finland’s.

Chongqing is located in southwest China and is the economic center of the upper Yangtze basin. It is one of five national central cities and has the same jurisdictional status as a Province.

This policy brief synthesizes existing studies on the impacts of the low-carbon pilots implemented by the city of Chongqing and draws insights from these experiences for the development of national policies and programs.