A new study indicated that 38 Chinese cities have cut their emissions of climate-warming carbon dioxide (CO2) despite expanding economies and populations for at least five years - known as proactively peaked cities.
A further 21 cities have reduced CO2 emissions since their economies or populations have "declined" over the same period, and are classified as passively emitting cities.
China's emissions exceed those of all developed countries combined
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According to a new analysis, China emits more greenhouse gases than the rest of the developed world combined, as per the BBC.
In a Rhodium Group analysis, China emitted 27% of the world's greenhouse gases in 2019.
The research group noted that the United States was the second-largest emitter at 11%, with India coming in third at 6.6%.
Scientists warned that without a deal between the United States and China, averting serious climate change will be difficult.
According to the analysis from the US-based Rhodium Group, China's emissions more than tripled over the previous three decades.
Because the Asian nation has the world's largest population, its per capita emissions are still far below those of the United States, but the research found that those emissions have tripled in the last two decades.
China has pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060, with a peak by 2030.
President Xi Jinping reaffirmed his vow last month at a climate summit hosted by US Vice President Joe Biden.
"This significant strategic choice is founded on our feeling of responsibility to build a community with a shared destiny for humanity, as well as our personal need to achieve sustainable growth," President Xi remarked at the time.
The experts discovered that "emission peaked" cities, such as Beijing and Taizhou (Zhejiang province), experienced emission declines primarily as a result of efficiency improvements and structural changes in energy use, whereas "declining" cities, such as Fuxin (Liaoning province) and Shenyang (Liaoning province), are likely to have experienced emission reductions as a result of economic recession or population loss, as per ScienceDaily.
They urge that, rather utilizing a "one-size-fits-all" approach, cities' emission targets be determined individually, taking into account their resources, industrialization levels, socioeconomic features, and development aspirations.
Super-emitting cities with obsolete technology and lower production efficiency should create strict emission-reduction regulations and targets, whereas less developed regions may have more emission room for economic development.
An international team of scientists led by the Universities of Birmingham (UK), Groningen (Netherlands), and Tsinghua University (China) publishes their findings in Science Bulletin, analyzing comprehensive CO2 emission inventories of 287 Chinese cities from 2001 to 2019.
The authors would like to thank the over 190 participants who contributed data to the Summer School organized by the Carbon Emission Accounts and Datasets for Emerging Economies (CEADs) at Nanjing Normal University (2017) and Tsinghua University (2017).
All city emission inventories are available for free download from CEADs-Carbon Emission Accounts and Datasets for Emerging Economies.
CEADs brought together professionals from the United Kingdom, the United States, and China to collaborate on emission accounting methodologies and applications for China and other emerging nations.
For scholars, policymakers, and the general public, the resource delivers reliable and up-to-date carbon emission, socioeconomic, and trade statistics.
Dr. Yuli Shan, Associate Professor in Sustainable Transitions at the University of Birmingham and topic leader of the CEADs team, noted that the experiences and lessons learned from the 59 Chinese cities that have reduced CO2 emissions can be utilized as standards for other cities.
These cities' accomplishments are crucial for countries throughout the world, as China is the world's largest CO2 emitter.
The influence of emission drivers differs across these cities; growing cities that have lowered emissions should create precedents for China to achieve the Dual-Carbon targets of peaking carbon emissions before 2030 and reaching carbon neutrality before 2060.
Rather than vigorously promoting low-carbon actions, the scientists recommend that declining cities with reduced emissions acknowledge that the drop in emissions is primarily due to a recessive economy, exhausted natural resources, insufficient industrial competitiveness, or even a shrinking population.
