China has become the largest provider among developing nations
of carbon credits under the Kyoto Protocol after approving more
than 350 foreign-invested carbon reduction projects.
As a developing country, China is not obligated to meet targets
set by the Kyoto Protocol, but under the Clean Development
Mechanism (CDM) it can provide so-called carbon credits to
developed countries if they invest in projects that help reduce
carbon emissions in China.
China's National Committee on Climate Change told Xinhua that
since 2005 it has approved 352 CDM projects that could cut carbon
emissions by 780 million tons a year.
The projects are waiting to be registered under United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
So far 42 CDM projects in China have been registered with
UNFCCC, and they are expected to cut emissions accounting for more
than 40 percent of the carbon credits earned under the CDM.
A carbon credit is given for the reduction of every ton of
carbon prevented from being emitted into the atmosphere.
"China is now the largest carbon credit provider under the Clean
Development Mechanism in the world," said He Ping, an energy and
CDM program manager with the United Nations Development Program in
China.
The Clean Development Mechanism allows developed countries to
fulfill their own emission reduction obligations at much lower cost
by investing in clean energy projects in developing countries such
as China.
The projects include upgrading equipment in factories or
converting coal burning factories to alternative energy
sources.
Under the Kyoto Protocol that came into effect in 2005, 38
industrialized countries are required to reduce their greenhouse
gas emissions by an average of 5.2 percent below the 1990 levels,
between 2008 to 2012.
By using the CDM these countries can meet their emission
reduction targets at a much lower cost by investing in clean energy
projects in developing countries such as China.
Insiders estimate the cost of a carbon credit is about 27 Euros
in the European Union, while in China the same credit would require
foreign investors spend seven to nine Euros.
The CDM is the only mechanism within Kyoto Protocol that allows
the trade of carbon credits between developed countries and
developing countries.
"The mechanism is a win-win solution for both developing
countries and developed countries," said He.
China's CDM projects include wind power, hydropower, landfill
gas power generation and garbage power generation. Earlier this
month, Hebei Province signed a contract for a wind
power project through the CDM with Japan. The deal will provide
Japan with 60,000 carbon credits a year between 2008 and 2012.
China's largest CDM project was jointly launched by Zhejiang Juhua Limited and Japan's JMD
company. It provides Japan with 2.4 million credits.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said at the press conference on
March 16 that the Chinese government will keep its pledge and honor
its international responsibilities by reducing greenhouse gas
emission.
"We endorse the Kyoto Protocol and we have formulated plans in
light of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change," said Wen.
China has set a target to reduce energy consumption per unit of
GDP by 20 percent during the 2006-2010 period, Wen said.
China is the second largest greenhouse gas emitter. Some
international energy agencies forecast that it will overtake the
United States to become the largest emitter after 2009.
(Xinhua News Agency March 17, 2007)