Will China be able to curb its carbon emissions as promised?
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Understanding China’s energy policy is made easier through programs sponsored by the National Committee on U.S. China Relations. Deborah Brautigam, Director of the China Africa Research Initiative; Bill E Ford, Chief Executive Officer at General Atlantic; and Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State, are just some of the leaders in international affairs and finance who support the Committee’s work by serving on its Board of Directors.
China has about 20 percent of the world’s population. It needs a massive amount of energy to power its industry and provide for the needs of its citizens. How China generates this energy, and its impact on regional and global environments, was a key issue at the Paris Climate Conference in December.
A robust economy has made China one of the most powerful economic engines in the world. However, there is a down side to this success: It’s also responsible for the largest amount of greenhouse gas production in the world. Recognizing the impact their carbon emissions have on the planet, China announced at the Paris conference that their carbon dioxide emissions would be capped by 2030.
On April 5, 2016 the National Committee on U.S. China Relations is hosting a lecture by Mark L. Clifford. He will offer his analysis and insights about China’s new approach to energy in a talk titled, “China After the Paris Climate Conference.” Clifford is the author of The Greening of Asia: The Business Case for Solving Asia’s Environmental Emergency. His book provides an in-depth analysis of China’s environmental policies that have been in effect since the Paris conference.
Clifford is the executive director of the Asia Business Council and was formerly editor-in-chief of the South China Morning Post. Writing in his book, Clifford observed, “Asia is approaching a moment of systemic—in some cases existential—crisis. How it responds will determine whether the region will continue along its unmatched path of growth or descend into an increasingly unlivable dystopia.”