{"id":69606,"date":"2021-01-14T16:31:55","date_gmt":"2021-01-14T16:31:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chinadialogue.net\/?p=69606"},"modified":"2025-01-21T10:45:19","modified_gmt":"2025-01-21T10:45:19","slug":"69606","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/zh\/3\/69606\/","title":{"rendered":"2020\uff1a\u4e2d\u56fd\u6c14\u5019\u5173\u952e\u8bcd"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

At the start of 2020, environmentalists were looking forward to a climate and environment \u201csuper year\u201d. But doubts were soon sown as the Covid-19 pandemic forced the postponement of both the Kunming biodiversity conference and the Glasgow climate conference.<\/p>\n\n

But despite the pandemic \u2013 and to some extent because of<\/em> it \u2013 the year proved more positive than many predicted.<\/p>\n\n

The disruption and uncertainty caused by Covid have forced both China and the rest of the world to rapidly reshape their response to climate change. New concepts and ideas stirred up by the health crisis have helped us break free from old ways of thinking and existing methodologies, offering new hope for climate action this year.<\/p>\n\n

As such, although it didn\u2019t turn out to be a super year, it was certainly a critical one.<\/p>\n\n

1: \u2018The environmental and health crisis\u2019<\/h2>\n\n

The onset of Covid-19 and its links to the trade in wild animals sparked a rethinking<\/a> of how humanity coexists with the rest of nature. Meanwhile, the climate crisis did not stop because of the pandemic, with extreme weather events over the summer gaining a lot of attention<\/a>. Overlapping in time, it\u2019s become clear that the two crises share a common cause: the lack of balance in the human-nature relationship.<\/p>\n\n

This was highlighted in a July report<\/a> from the UN Environmental Programme and the International Livestock Research Institute, which described climate change as a driver of epidemics, and, just like zoonotic diseases, a consequence of the overexploitation of natural resources.\u00a0To have the best chance of preventing another pandemic, we need to address climate and infectious diseases simultaneously.<\/p>\n\n

Indeed, strengthening the link between health and climate, rather than treating the two crises separately, has been an emerging theme of the climate narrative this year. This has also helped raise awareness of climate issues among the general public.<\/p>\n\n

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2020 saw the idea of nature-based solutions<\/a> taken more seriously<\/a> as an important route to tackling climate change, thanks to the emphasis these approaches place on the coexistence of humanity and the rest of nature. Such solutions include the restoration of wetlands and forests, sustainable agriculture and the building of \u201csponge cities\u201d to mitigate flooding. They were frequently mentioned in discussions about recovering from the pandemic, due to their focus on improving the resilience both of society and ecosystems. Also in 2020, the Chinese government published its plan<\/a> for major ecosystem protection and restoration projects in 2021-2035, adding national policies backing the goal of ecosystem restoration. Nature-based solutions are expected to be made greater use of under this framework.<\/p>\n\n

2: \u2018China\u2019s carbon neutrality pledge\u2019<\/h2>\n\n

At the beginning of 2020, hardly anyone would have predicted that China would commit to peak carbon before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060. The announcement, made at the UN General Assembly in September, boosted climate ambition globally, and similar promises were subsequently heard around the world, with Japan, South Korea and other nations committing to carbon neutrality by mid-century.<\/p>\n\n

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Beyond China\u2019s borders, the announcement drew applause and affirmation<\/a>. At home, that piece of \u201cforeign news\u201d \u2013\u00a0as climate change tends to be categorised \u2013\u00a0has become a new national goal that policymakers must somehow find ways to achieve. Ambitious new targets<\/a> are now expected in the 14th<\/sup> Five Year Plan, currently being drafted, indicating climate change is a more important part of the country\u2019s political and economic strategies than ever before. Meanwhile, it has narrowed the gap between China and the rest of the world when it comes to acknowledgement of the urgency of the issue \u2013 now no longer seen as a distant foreign matter. Carbon neutrality by 2060 is on the agenda for all sectors in China, and the effects of this will continue to be felt for some time.<\/p>\n\n

China\u2019s elevated climate role following its carbon neutrality pledge also means that the quality and consistency of its climate ambitions will be subject to harsher scrutiny<\/a>. There are already hopes that China will go beyond the scope of its own nationally determined contributions<\/a> to combatting climate change. Indices such as added coal-power capacity for 2020, coal power and carbon emissions targets in the 14th<\/sup> Five Year Plan, and the carbon footprint of overseas energy investments will all be seen as tests for that leadership role.<\/p>\n\n

3: \u2018The green recovery\u2019<\/h2>\n\n

As the world struggled with coronavirus during March and April, the idea of \u201cbuilding back better\u201d came into play.<\/a> By the end of 2020, both the European Union and the United Kingdom had released recovery plans with green elements \u2013 and the necessary funding.<\/p>\n\n

But China\u2019s stimulus policies lacked any green framework, leaving observers trying to spot the good news. Local and central government bonds played a key role in a rapid recovery, but experts worry<\/a> China is still taking an outdated approach to boosting the economy.<\/p>\n\n

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Will 2021 see China find a route to recovery that does not rely on increased carbon emissions? This should be considered<\/a> within the wider context of China\u2019s economic rebalancing. The pandemic recovery measures reflect pre-existing imbalances: industry recovered quickly, but growth only returned to the retail and service sectors in the third quarter of 2020. In addition, low-income groups and less-developed regions were hit harder by coronavirus, and recovered more slowly. China has already realised that investment in public infrastructure has become a less effective way of stimulating the economy, and policymakers have time and again stressed the importance of sustainable and inclusive<\/a> growth. Green elements will be indispensable during deeper structural reforms and efforts to create a more balanced, inclusive and vigorous economy.<\/p>\n\n

2021: a new starting line<\/h2>\n\n

The ongoing battle against the Covid-19 pandemic has shown us there are no easy answers to this global crisis; it is necessary to break free of old ideas and limitations. The measures many governments have taken \u2013 widespread lockdowns, huge financial relief packages, increased deficits \u2013 have proven that things once considered impossible can actually be done. The climate crisis will require policymakers to show the same resolve to break established patterns.<\/p>\n\n

China\u2019s pledge on carbon neutrality may mean a climate breakthrough is on the way. Here\u2019s what we can look forward to for action on climate change during 2021:<\/p>\n\n