Summary:

This report makes the case for introducing an absolute carbon cap into China's 14th Five-Year Plan as an enhanced climate policy measure. It argues that while China has made progress on carbon intensity reduction, absolute emissions continue to rise, and an economy-wide carbon cap would provide clearer policy signals, facilitate carbon peaking, and align with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment's emissions control governance. The report examines international precedents, China's feasibility for implementing such a cap, and provides recommendations on design elements including legal basis, regional differentiation, integration with the national carbon market, and leveraging complementary policy actions.

Suggested citation:

Hu Min, Yang Li, Chen Meian, Diego Montero, Li Ang. (2019). Introducing an Absolute Carbon Cap into China's Five-Year Plan: Rationale and Recommendations. Beijing: Institute for Global Decarbonization Progress (iGDP).

License:

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0)