In March, 2011, China officially adopted its 12th Five-Year Plan, a blueprint for China’s development from 2011 to 2015. Its green targets will shape the country’s action on the environment over the next five years. But what are they? How were they decided? And what do they tell us about China's future path? In this book, chinadialogue brings together expert views from China, the United States and Europe on the significance of the Five-Year Plan, for China - and the wider world.
The 12th Five-Year Plan (FYP) adopted by the Chinese government in March 2011 devotes considerable attention to energy and climate change and establishes a new set of targets and policies for 2011-2015. While some of the targets are largely in line with the status quo, other aspects of the plan represent more dramatic moves to reduce fossil energy consumption, promote low-carbon energy sources, and restructure China’s economy. Among the goals is to “gradually establish a carbon trade market.” Key targets include:
This report captures the mission and actions of the Asia Solar Energy Initiative (ASEI), launched by Asian Development Bank (ADB) in May 2010, in response to the exponential growth opportunities to install solar energy capacity in Asian and Pacific.
The report provides information to relevant stakeholders on the importance and benefits of developing the solar energy sector in Asia and the Pacific, investment opportunities and challenges in the sector, and the approach adopted by the Asia Solar Energy Initiative to facilitate the rapid deployment of solar energy applications in the region, including knowledge management, project development and innovative finance.
Green Jobs have become an emblem of a more sustainable economy and society that preserves the environment for present and future generations and is more equitable and inclusive of all people and all countries. Construction has been recognized as a significant contributor to climate change through its emission of global warming gases (GWG). Construction of new buildings and refurbishment of existing buildings alike also represent the largest potential for technically feasible and economically viable reductions of emissions and of energy consumption, while encouraging the development of new professional skills and generation of significant employment opportunities.
South Africa was the first country studied by the ILO in specific regard to Green Jobs in Construction and the present document is an edited version of the research report.
Climate change is one of the greatest environmental issues of our time and the Asia-Pacific region is already experiencing its adverse impacts. Studies suggest that the costs of inaction on reducing the consumption of fossil fuels, the main source of climate change, would be many times the costs of action. This report stresses the need to take decisive steps quickly to get the developing countries in this region on course to make inroads in the global effort to combat climate change and achieve sustainable development and green growth. The course of action is a low-carbon development path. The energy system is the main contributor to climate change, representing a predominate share of total greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions and consequently the effort to tackle climate change has become a major driver of energy policy. The current level of emissions from fossil fuels, are unsustainable and threaten the environment on both local and global scales. Reducing the carbon intensity of energy emitted per unit of energy consumed is a key objective in reaching long- term climate goals. As long as the primary energy mix is biased towards fossil fuels, this would be difficult to achieve.
This report focuses on the potential for low carbon opportunities and the financing that could flow from such projects.