Report

Synthesis Report: China's Low-Carbon Readiness and Competitiveness 2015

March 6, 2015

China’s drive to develop a low-carbon, resource-efficient economy is a top priority of the government, placing pressure on the industrial development zones (IDZs) to respond to a growing and diverse set of policy levers.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), with the support of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), is working with Chinese industrial and economics zones to identify key policy trends that will affect competitiveness and to provide insight to help better manage the transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient economy. This synthesis report provides an overview of the two phases of the project, which a specific focus on the low-carbon drivers of IDZs, an overview of the research results, policy trends and drivers of low-carbon development in IDZs and Priority areas for action.

Phase 1 of IID’s project investigated how low-carbon management standards accelerate the development of competitive, low-carbon enterprises in China’s economic zones. Global research and an extensive business survey in China were used to assess business sentiments on how low-carbon management standards can help advance Chinese competitiveness. Phase 1 identified standards as a promising opportunity, but only one of a growing suite of low-carbon drivers for the industrial zones.

Phase 2 of the project supports a growing need in the zones to better respond to a dynamic array of policy levers. The work completed in this latest phase is focused on working with industrial zones and enterprises to help reveal the implications of the emerging mix of policies and to help them better manage their transition to low-carbon operations.

Report details

Topic
Climate Change Mitigation
Region
China
Focus area
Climate
Publisher
IISD
Copyright
IISD, 2015