Low carbon economy is an economic model based on low energy consumption, low pollution and low emission. It is another major progress of human society after agricultural civilization and industrial civilization. The essence of low-carbon economy is energy efficient utilization, clean energy development and the pursuit of green GDP. The core of low-carbon economy is the innovation of energy technology and emission reduction technology, the innovation of industrial structure and system, and the fundamental change of human survival and development concept.
Low carbon industry
Under the background of global warming, "low carbon economy" based on low energy consumption and low pollution has become a global hot spot. Developed countries in Europe and the United States vigorously promote the "low-carbon revolution" with high energy efficiency and low emissions as the core, focus on the development of "low-carbon technology", and make major adjustments to the policies of industry, energy, technology and trade, so as to seize the opportunity and industrial commanding point. The battle for a low-carbon economy has quietly started in the world. This is both pressure and challenge for China.
Development of low carbon economy faces challenges
China, which is speeding up industrialization, urbanization and modernization, is in the stage of rapid growth of energy demand, and large-scale infrastructure construction is impossible to stop; China, which has been poor and backward for a long time, is committed to improving and improving the level and quality of life of 1.3 billion people in an all-round way, bringing about sustained growth of energy consumption. "Development emissions" with prominent characteristics of "high carbon" have become a major constraint on China's sustainable development. How to ensure the continuous improvement of people's living standards without repeating the old way of western developed countries seeking development at the expense of the environment is a difficult problem China must face.
Developing low carbon economy faces challenge 2
The resource conditions of "rich coal, little gas and lack of oil" determine that China's energy structure is mainly coal, and the choice of low-carbon energy resources is limited. In electricity, hydropower accounts for only about 20%, thermal power accounts for more than 77%, and "high carbon" occupies an absolute dominant position. According to calculation, each ton of coal combustion will produce 4.12 tons of carbon dioxide gas, 30% and 70% more than that of oil and natural gas. It is estimated that the power investment in China's energy sector will reach 1.8 trillion US dollars in the next 20 years. The threat of large-scale development of thermal power to the environment can not be ignored.
Developing low carbon economy faces challenges 3
The main body of China's economy is the secondary industry, which determines that the main sector of energy consumption is industry, and the backward level of industrial production technology aggravates the high carbon characteristics of China's economy. Data show that from 1993 to 2005, China's industrial energy consumption increased by 5.8% annually, accounting for about 70% of the total energy consumption. In 2005, energy consumption accounted for 64.4% of the total industrial energy consumption. It is a major task to adjust the economic structure and improve the level of industrial production technology and energy utilization.
Developing low carbon economy faces challenges 4
As a developing country, the biggest restriction of China's economic transformation from "high carbon" to "low carbon" is that the overall scientific and technological level is backward and the ability of technological research and development is limited. Although the United Nations Framework Convention on climate change stipulates that developed countries have the obligation to provide technology transfer to developing countries, the actual situation is far from that. China has to rely mainly on commercial channels to import technology. It is estimated that in terms of GDP in 2006, China needs 25 billion US dollars annually to transform from a high-carbon economy to a low-carbon economy. Such a huge investment is obviously a heavy burden on developing China, which is not yet rich.
