Lead:

Since World War II, oil has become a strong support for the economic development of countries around the world, and in addition to creating a brilliant economic miracle, it has also brought about another important consequence, which is the gradual deterioration of the world's climate, which is driven by more and more carbon dioxide emissions. Environmental issues have become the most serious challenge to sustainable development on a global scale.

In early November 2009, Beijing received its first snowfall of the year, which was also the earliest snowfall in the city in 22 years. In less than 10 days, a blizzard hit six northern Chinese provinces, and the scope and intensity of the impact were rare for many years. In mid-November, Hangzhou also had a strange weather of "day like night, lightning and thunder". From October 12th to 13th, countries in Europe, such as Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Poland, ushered in the first heavy snow of 2009, breaking the record for the earliest snow in these countries. What's going on with the global climate? What are the causes of the abnormal weather? US President Barack Obama's slogan of "developing a low-carbon economy" during his visit to China in November 2009 provides the answer to the mystery of the "climate anomaly".

In the more than 60 years since the Second World War, countries around the world have relied on oil to develop their economies, and in addition to creating a brilliant economic miracle, it has also brought about another important consequence, that is, the gradual deterioration of the world's climate, which is driven by the increasing emission of carbon dioxide. Environmental issues have become the most serious challenge to sustainable development on a global scale. The economic losses caused by climate anomalies amount to $125 billion a year - which is much higher than the total amount of aid sent to developing countries each year. By 2030, economic losses will reach $*****.

If the traditional real economy continues to grow, it means that the climate will deteriorate further, and various extreme weather phenomena will emerge one after another. Unlike general environmental pollutants, carbon dioxide emissions are highly transboundary polluting, and no country can solve them locally by transferring production in the past. Climate change has become a hard constraint on global economic development, and it is imperative to adjust the direction of the real economy and transition to a new economy called for "climate improvement", which is a low-carbon economy.

The concept of a low-carbon economy originated in the United Kingdom. In 2003, the United Kingdom published a white paper on energy, "Our Energy Future: Creating a Low-Carbon Economy", proposing to replace the current fossil energy development model with low-carbon energy and low-carbon economic development model with low dioxide. In 2007, the United Nations discussed and formulated the "Post-Kyoto Action Plan" that began in 2012, which promoted the low-carbon economy proposed by the United Nations to use the green economy and the Green New Deal low-carbon economy as a legitimate way to save the economy. In 2009, funding from the G20 stimulus package in London moved the economy toward a resilient, sustainable and green recovery. We will drive the transition to clean, innovative, resource-efficient and low-carbon technologies and infrastructure.

The meaning of low-carbon economy can be understood from the following two aspects: from the perspective of the relationship between economic growth and energy consumption and carbon dioxide at the macro level, low-carbon economy refers to the economy in which economic growth is decoupled from fossil energy consumption. If fossil energy consumption is relatively dry, economic growth is very small, positive growth, and a relatively low-carbon economy; If fossil energy consumption is zero or even negative relative to economic growth, it is an absolutely low-carbon economy.

From the perspective of material flow processes at the micro level, the low-carbon economy includes the following three aspects of economic activities. In the import link of the economic process, it is necessary to replace fossil energy and other high-carbon energy sources with renewable energy sources such as solar energy, wind energy, and bioenergy. In the transformation of the economic process, it is necessary to greatly improve the efficiency of fossil energy utilization, including improving industrial energy efficiency, building energy efficiency and transportation energy efficiency. In the export link of the economic process, it is necessary to increase the green area of the earth through afforestation and wetland protection, and absorb the carbon dioxide emitted by economic activities, that is, the so-called carbon sink construction.

A low-carbon economy has triple benefits of economy, employment and emission reduction. In today's world, when discussing new economic growth points, it is no longer possible to consider the contribution of a certain new industry to economic growth. Emerging industries or innovative activities that can serve as economic growth drivers should contribute not only to sustained economic growth, but also to the improvement of labor employment and the reduction of carbon dioxide. In other words, only new industries with economic growth, labor employment, energy conservation and emission reduction can be called the growth point in the sustainable development of the economy. The reason why the low-carbon economy is considered the most promising growth point of the future economy is because it has a clear triple benefit.

For example, from a global perspective, the current energy consumption in the building sector, its greenhouse gas emissions and waste generation account for 30%-40% of the total energy consumption and corresponding emissions. If the existing technology is used well, the energy consumption of the building can be reduced by 70%-80%. The transition to clean and efficient urban public transport has a clear employment amplification effect, with four jobs created in related industries for every direct job created.

It is expected that by 2020 or so, the low-carbon economy will form a large climate in the world. According to the relevant survey report of the United Nations, the green development led by the low-carbon economy consists of three stages.

(1) In the short term, that is, in 2009-2010, 1% of global GDP (equivalent to 750 billion US dollars, accounting for 25% of the current global rescue economic crisis of 3 trillion US dollars) should be invested in low-carbon fields, so that the economic recovery will have a sufficient intensity of green proportion, and lay the foundation for post-crisis economic transformation.

(2) In the medium term, by 2015, efforts should be made to eradicate extreme poverty through a low-carbon economy and achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.

(3) In the medium and long term, the development of a low-carbon economy should substantially reduce the dependence of economic growth on carbon-based energy while promoting global economic growth and employment, and contribute to the realization of the goal of reducing global carbon dioxide emissions by 20% by 2020 compared with 1990.

The battle for a low-carbon economy has quietly started around the world. This is both a pressure and a challenge for China. The development of a low-carbon economy is of significant significance for China to achieve new industrialization and new urbanization of economic growth, employment increase and environmental protection, and to achieve scientific development of production development, affluent life and ecological harmony. At the same time, China has a certain foundation for development in the three areas of action of low-carbon economy, namely the development of renewable energy, the improvement of energy efficiency, and constructive energy projects, and has the potential and development space to cultivate new green economic growth points.

However, the development of a low-carbon economy in China is still fraught with difficulties, facing the following challenges: China, which is accelerating industrialization, urbanization and modernization, is in a stage of rapid growth in energy demand, and large-scale infrastructure construction cannot be stopped. The high carbon emissions of the traditional real economy have become a major constraint to China's sustainable development. The resource conditions of "rich coal, low gas and lack of oil" determine the limited choice of low-carbon coal energy in China's energy structure. Hydropower accounts for only about 20% of the electricity, thermal power accounts for more than 70%, and high-carbon energy accounts for an absolute dominant position. It has been calculated that 4.12 tonnes of carbon dioxide gas is produced per tonne of coal burned, 10% and 70% more per tonne than oil and gas, and it is estimated that China's energy sector will invest US$1.8 trillion in electricity over the next 20 years. The large-scale development of thermal power is a threat to the environment that cannot be ignored.

The main sector of energy consumption is industry, and the technological level of industrial production is backward, which aggravates the high-carbon characteristics of China's economy. According to the data, from 1993 to 2008, China's industrial energy consumption increased by an average of 5.8% per year, and industrial energy consumption accounted for about 70% of the total energy consumption. In 2008, energy-intensive industries such as mining, steel, building materials, cement, and electricity accounted for 64.4% of industrial energy consumption.

As a developing country, the biggest constraint on China's economic transformation from a traditional real economy to a low-carbon economy is the backward overall scientific and technological level and limited technological research and development capabilities. It is estimated that China's transition from a high-carbon economy to a low-carbon economy will cost hundreds of millions of dollars in 2008 GDP terms. Such a huge investment is obviously a heavy burden on China, which is not yet a rich developing country.

Despite this, in order to protect the environment and take the path of sustainable development, we should still vigorously promote a low-carbon economy, and vigorously promote clean energy fields such as wind and solar energy. At present, there are 10 cities in China that take the lead in promoting the development of LED green lighting and electric vehicles.

With the growing concern about climate change, the transition of the world economy to a low-carbon economy is becoming more and more obvious. There is reason to believe that China will be a green and environmentally friendly China in the future, and the number of extreme weather phenomena will become less and less.