UNDP says low carbon approach essential for China
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| Guest speaker, Ex UN Secretary-in-General Maurice Strong delivers an address at the meeting. [Maverick Chen / China.org.cn] |
![Guest speaker, Ex UN Secretary-in-General Maurice Strong delivers an address at the meeting. [Maverick Chen / China.org.cn]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20100416/001fd04cea510d324e1002.jpg "Guest speaker, Ex UN Secretary-in-General Maurice Strong delivers an address at the meeting. [Maverick Chen / China.org.cn]")
The publication links carbon reduction to economic development, pointing out that some of China's most economically advanced regions on the east coast among the least carbon intensive in the country.
Zou Ji, the report's lead author and professor with Renmin University acknowledged there would be temporary costs involved in the transition to a low-carbon economy, including job losses, higher prices and fiscal revenue shortfalls. But he said long term gains would include improved living standards, reduced harm to human health and the preservation of vital ecosystems.
But the country faces a huge challenge in implementing a low-carbon approach because of its vast territory and uneven development between regions.
"In less developed regions where a low-carbon transformation will incur excessive costs, they can trade their carbon emissions against tax," Prof. Zou suggested. "We cannot implement a universal standard, but will set different goals for different regions."
