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China
- History and Objectives
- Shanghai
- Beijing
- National Assessment
- National Energy Intensity and SO2 Co-Control
History and Objectives
The confluence of rapid industrialization, economic growth, and urbanization, with the consequent air pollution and associated greenhouse gas emissions has made China an important partner for the IES program. While work to link health benefits to air pollution abatement in China is not new, the IES program adds a comprehensive process that engages policymakers and enhances in-country capacity for continued work in the future.
The IES-China program began in early 1999 as an assessment of energy options and health impacts in Shanghai, the final report of which was released in 2001. EPA originally supported this effort through a partnership with the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the China Council of International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), and the work was conducted in consultation with China’s State Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA).
In April 1999, EPA’s Administrator signed a series of Statements of Intent with the Minister of SEPA. One of these expanded the ongoing project into a broader, national program by creating a partnership to “Assess Benefits of Programs to Reduce Air Pollution and Protect Public Health in China” which included an additional project in Beijing and a national level assessment. The IES-Beijing team released its final report in 2006. The final report of the national assessment was released in March 2008.
As a part of the Eleventh Five-year Plan, China has announced a goal of reducing both energy intensity by 20 percent by 2010 and sulfur dioxide emissions by 10 percent. At present, the IES-China program is attempting to provide insight and analysis for how these targets may be met via co-controls or integrated measures that simultaneously reduce GHG emissions and criteria air pollutant emissions. Options to meet these targets will be evaluated through a co-control framework to provide detailed information on cost and emissions. The framework will examine existing policies, measures and technologies including measures consistent with China’s 2007 National Climate Action Plan.
Shanghai
The objective of the IES-Shanghai study was to evaluate the reduction of emissions of local air pollutants and CO2 emissions under several energy and environmental policy scenarios, and to estimate the improvement in the pollutant exposure levels.
Beijing
There were several objectives of the IES-Beijing study:
- To build capacity in utilizing an integrated approach to policy analysis that considers strategies and technologies beneficial to local air quality as well as global climate
- To analyze a range of integrated strategies and quantify the co-benefits of each policy strategy
- To provide scientific support for comprehensive air pollution control policymaking in Beijing
- To provide useful input to Green Olympic strategy
National Assessment
The third study of the IES-China Program, the IES-China National Assessment, examined a combination of energy and pollution control policies at the national level and estimated emissions, air quality, public health and economic impacts of the policies.
National Energy Intensity and SO2 Co-Control
In light of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan goals outlined above, EPA is cooperating with China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) to consider how the goals for energy intensity and SO2 can be met via co-controls or integrated measures that simultaneously reduce GHG emissions and criteria air pollutant emissions. NDRC is providing guidance on the scope and focus of the research, the areas of interest to the Chinese government, the technologies and scenarios to be considered, and the economic and sustainable development indicators of interest. EPA is providing financial and technical support and direction. The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) is the lead analytical institution in China. The U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) are the lead technical support institutions for EPA. The project is expected to be completed in late 2009 or early 2010.