'Green path' essential for continued development

Experts said reducing carbon dioxide emissions will not inhibit China's economic development, but instead will drive the country's economic growth onto a green and sustainable path.

Xie Zhenhua, special adviser for climate change affairs of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, said over the past decade China's practice has showed positive actions on mitigating climate change will improve both the quality and quantity of the economy.

Last year, China's GDP increased more than four times compared with 2005 while carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP decreased by 48.1 percent, according to the ministry.

"Reducing carbon dioxide emissions will not hinder economic growth, instead it will bring opportunities for the new energy industry and create more jobs in the sector," he said at the Beautiful China Forum 100 jointly held on Friday by the Chinese Society for Environment Sciences and Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning.

Building Beautiful China, a goal set after the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in October, aims to see carbon dioxide emissions keep reducing after reaching their peak by 2030 and make production and lifestyles green throughout all areas of society by 2035.

Minister Huang Runqiu said the low-carbon energy system is key to achieving the goal and ensuring sustainable economic growth.

"In the next 15 years, the period of realizing the goal, if we still stick to the high-carbon energy system, the economic growth will falter," he said. "However, a greener path will not only energize growth but also address the root cause of current ecological and environmental problems."

Du Xiangwan, honorary director of China's National Expert Committee on Climate Change, said an increased use of nonfossil fuels such as wind energy and solar power can realize energy transition.

"To achieve a Beautiful China, the country should transform its coal-powering electricity generating system into a nonfossil fuel-powered one and replace petroleum in vehicles with hydrogen," he said.

China is heading toward an energy transition, as data from the ministry showed last year China's nonfossil fuels accounted for 15.3 percent of energy consumption, up 7.9 percentage points compared with 2005.

"The proportion can be bigger to lay a foundation for the transition State Grid Energy Research Institute forecasts will reach 70 percent in 2050," Du said.

Xie said China is still a developing country and to achieve that transition, the country needs to make a more arduous effort than developed ones.

"The 'energy revolution' will be an excellent opportunity for our country to achieve high-quality and sustainable development and promote green lifestyle and consumption mode," he said.