Jiahua Pan

Climate Change--the Chinese Challenge

Controlling COemissions without hindering economic development is a major challenge for China and the world.

Emissions Rights and their Transferability: Equity Concerns over Climate Change Mitigation

Existing literature on equity considerations for climate change mitigation has largely focused on fair burden-sharing at an inter-national level without adequate attention to equity concerns at the intra-national level. However, disparities between regions and income groups within nations pose perhaps more equity concerns over climate change mitigation than those between nations. While international equity can be agreed upon via political negotiation among nations, the poor in both developed and developing countries may not be guaranteed their fair allocation of emissions rights because the necessary institutional framework has yet to be established at both international and national levels. This paper distinguishes three parts of emissions rights and discusses their transferability in view of equity concerns. The author suggests that basic necessity emissions rights are not transferable and non-necessity emissions are fully marketable, while individual contributions to state are subject to collective decision-making or political manipulation at the international level. The exact share of each of the three parts is subject to further investigation, but unlimited free trading of emissions rights is likely to result in equity concerns at both inter- and intra-national levels. Further examination in quantitative terms would represent an interesting case study for a better understanding of the issue.

From Industrial Toward Ecological in China

Having transitioned from developing country into the world’s second largest economy, China is taking steps toward more sustainable modes of development. Having transitioned from developing country into the world’s second largest economy, China is taking steps toward more sustainable modes of development.

Comparative effectiveness of discharge and input control for reducing nitrate pollution

Nitrate pollution has caused serious environmental concerns, but its control is often complicated by its diffuse nature. In most cases, nitrate control has been linked to either nitrogen input or leaching. By incorporating the relationship among land use, fertilizer application, and nitrogen leaching into a linear programming model, this analysis investigates the comparative effectiveness between input and leaching control. The empirical results from a groundwater catchment in eastern England suggest that leaching control can be more cost-effective in nitrate reduction than fertilizer input control. The implications for control of nitrate leaching through incentives systems are discussed.

China expects leadership from rich nations.

Greater emissions cuts by developed nations are the starting point for a successful climate deal at Copenhagen in December says Jiahua Pan.

A synthetic analysis of market efficiency and constant resource stock for sustainability and its policy implications

Abstract Economic efficiency and ecological sustainability reflect different understandings and requirements for natural and environmental resource management. These two approaches can conflict in principle, but at the same time they can be complementary. A synthesis is suggested so that ecological sustainability could be realised with economic efficiency. With the introduction of a resource enhancement function, an optimal control model is constructed to investigate the efficient implementation of sustainability criteria. Further discussions are made on the policy implications arising from the synthesis and the transformation between physical capital (natural resources in situ) and capital gains (economic surplus) in a market control process.

Flexibility Required to Meet China＇s Mandatory Green Targets Set in the 12th Five-Year Plan

IntroductionDuring the past five years known as the period of the 11th Five-Year (2006-2010) Plan,China made great efforts on energy saving and emission reduction,and obtained great achievements,including a 19.06％drop of per unit GDP energy consumption.One of the major targets of Chinas development during the period of the 12th Five-Year (2011-2015) Plan or the next five years,is to lead Chinas economy on to the path of sustainable development,with emphasis on clean energy construction,emission reduction promotion,and a drastic reduction of energy intensity as well as carbon intensity.Therefore,a target for carbon reduction (a reduction goal for per unit GDP CO2emissions) was added in the 12th Five-Year Plan in addition to the target for energy saving and conventional pollutants emission reduction.The target has been set,but opinions [Yang et aL.,2011;Wu,2011;Liu,2011] still vary on whether it is optimal as well as how it should be comprehended and implemented.

Environmental Standards versus Structural Changes as Sustainability Alternatives: An Empirical Evaluation of Nitrate Pollution Control

The debate on the appropriate criteria for environmental sustainability encompasses a variety of approaches, ranging from conventional environmental standards through to complete system changes. In this paper, the relevance of the sustainability debate to practical decisionmaking is tested in an empirical context of nitrate pollution control in eastern England. Five alternative criteria (no control, aggregate and uniform standards, low and zero nitrogen-input systems) are specified for examination. These are assessed and compared by using a linear programming model. Conventional environmental standards are seen as more cost-effective than low and zero input systems. It appears that various approaches can be consistent with sustainability objectives and are relevant to environmental management problems. The choice of approaches has significant environmental and economic implications in practice. However, all the control alternatives have their own strengths and each may be preferable in some specific circumstances.

China's Low Carbon Transformation

Along with industrialization and urbanization processes, Chinas emission of greenhouse gases has been increasing rapidly and substantially over the past 40 years, as measured in aggregate and in per capita terms. While there are reasons to drive up the emissions, the Chinese government has made efforts to lower the rate of increase in emissions, as emission reduction is consistent with Chinas pursuit for energy security and sustainable development. Ambitious targets and aggressive actions have been made in China to accelerate the process of low carbon transformation. However, challenges remain and additional policies will be required to accomplish the process of low carbon transformation.