In 2020, China announced its climate target that it will reach a carbon emission peak before the year 2030 and reach carbon neutrality before 2060. In 2021, China submitted its updated climate targets (the so-called Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and Long-term strategies to the UNFCCC. The Chinese government has then put in place the “1+N” policy framework, a set of carbon-peaking action plans for various sectors and policies supporting their implementation.
With national-level targets and policies in place, subnational-level implementation is critical to ensure China achieve its climate goals. Supporting Chinese provinces in the development of strategies for the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and for the adaptation to the impacts of climate change is the focus of the Sino-German Cooperation on Climate Change – NDC Implementation project, a project facilitating bilateral exchange to drive climate action in China as part of the German government’s International Climate Initiative (IKI).
Workshop with all partner provinces © GIZ East Asia Climate Team
Since 2022, the NDC Implementation project worked with Shandong Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region with measures supporting regional early emissions peaking and emissions reduction. By analysing the socio-economic impacts of the transition away from fossil fuels, conducting trainings on the modelling of decarbonisation pathways as well as facilitating the exchange of German and international experiences with low-carbon transformation, the project contributed to the development of strategies to drive the low-carbon transformation of local economies.
Building on this success, the project has expanded its activities supporting GHG mitigation and adaptation on a subnational level, taking up cooperation with the provinces of Anhui, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Shaanxi and Sichuan.
In order to understand the status of climate change actions and identify the needs for international cooperation and exchange of the partner provinces, together with China’s National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation (NCSC) GIZ organised a series of scoping workshops, field visits and bilateral exchanges with representatives from the provincial government, Departments of Ecology and Environment, Chinese and international experts.
Visiting to Guangdong’s Department of Ecology and Environment © GIZ East Asia Climate Team
Based on the scoping the following focus areas have been determined for exchange and cooperation with the partner provinces.
On the mitigation of GHG emissions:
- Policy and regulatory framework for the decarbonisation of the cement sector (Anhui, Sichuan)
- Roadmap for low carbon development of the transport sector (Hunan)
- Best Practices of methane mitigation in energy, agriculture and waste sector (Guangdong, Shandong)
- Capacity building for modelling decarbonisation scenarios and associated socio-economic impacts (Hunan, Sichuan);
- Strategies and measures for climate neutrality on county level (Shaanxi)
- Guidance for reduction of GHG emissions and environment pollution in industry parks (Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region)
On the adaptation to the impacts of climate change:
- Methodology for climate change impact and risk assessment as well as measures to strengthen the resilience of ecosystems, e.g. mangroves and high plateau areas (Guangxi, Sichuan)
- City-level climate adaptation planning and policy (Sichuan, Shaanxi)
Workshop with provincial stakeholders © GIZ East Asia Climate Team
Until the end of 2025, the NDC Implementation project will work with local and international partners, facilitating exchange between experts and policymakers, providing tailor-made analytical support and conducting training customised to local needs. The bilateral exchange and collaboration contribute to China’s efforts to reach its climate targets through action on the ground and enable China to raise the level of ambition of future NDCs and climate action.
