Developing low-carbon cities through pilots

To avoid the high energy consumption and pollution present in other industrialized countries, China is making the economic and social transition from a high-carbon model to a low-carbon model. The low-carbon city pilots (LCCPs) programme was launched by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) to resolve the dilemma between economic development and transitioning to a low-carbon model.

The status quos of these pilots in different regions have set CO 2 intensity per unit of gross domestic product (GDP), CO 2 emissions per capita, CO 2 reduction targets, and CO 2 discharge peak times. Traditional policies, including those aimed at improving energy efficiency, applying renewable energy, adjusting sector structure, and increasing carbon sequestration capacity, are being widely applied in the form of command-mandatory tools, market-economic tools, and voluntary tools.