CPI

For the 11^th Five-YearPlan (FYP) period, China set a target of reducing its energy intensity (energy consumptionper unit of GDP) by 20 percent compared to the 2005 baseline, and it achieved a 19.06 percent reduction. This is equivalent to a 630 Mtce reduction in energy against the baseline. In addition, carbon dioxide emissions intensity fell by 1550 Mt CO₂ during this period. Despite falling emissions intensity, however, China’s total emissions grew by 33.6 percent, resulting in the country’s emergence as the world’s largestgreenhouse gas emitter.

This review explores China’s low-carbon development efforts under the 11^th FYP period. What drove the decline in energy intensity? How did government actions contribute to this decline? What are the implications of China’s experience for the 12^th FYP?