Driving Force and Challenge of Developing Low-Carbon Economy in China

Abstract: With the growth of population and development of the global economy, the unrestrained use of natural and energy resources have seriously influenced environment and economy of world. Many people start to realize the serious environmental problems that come from the high energy utilizations, especially of high carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. So Low-Carbon Economy has become focus of attention around the world; it also has become every country‟s strategic goals for future development under this global situation.As the biggest country of CO2 emissions in the world, China‟s development of Low-Carbon Economy is increasingly influencing the economy and environmental development in the world, and the country has faced more and more pressure after United Nations Climate Change Conference, 2009. Transition to Low-Carbon Economy is essential road for China, whether respond to the threat of climate change or balance domestic economic development with environmental sustainability. However, China also faces lots of challenges and pressure in the process of transition to Low-Carbon Economy.This thesis combines quantitative method with qualitative methods to do a research about driving force and challenges of developing Low-Carbon Economy in China. Firstly, it discusses the driving forces for China to develop Low-Caron Economy from two aspects-pressures and benefits. Secondly, it investigates challenges that China is likely to face in Low-Carbon Economy development from energy and economic aspect. Finally, it uses cause and effect diagram to explain the bottlenecks of Low-Carbon Economy development in China.Our conclusion is that China faces the bottleneck between challenges and driving force to develop Low-Carbon Economy. And this situation was caused by national actual situations and conditions in China. This explains also why China requested in Copenhagen Conference that “developing countries take appropriated measures to emission control and reduction in terms of receiving the funding and technology support from developed countries. Those emission reduction actions should be done according to the national actual situations and conditions.”