Towards carbon-neutral sustainable development of China

Abstract

As a major economy with large amounts of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and ecosystem carbon sink, China’s commitment and pathway towards carbon neutrality is of global importance. Faced with the dual challenges of sustained economic growth and environmental protection, there is pressing need to integrate scientific knowledge from multiple disciplines to support policymaking on emission mitigation and carbon sink enhancement. This focus issue, with a companion workshop with the same theme, offers an opportunity to meet such need. With a total of 21 published papers, the focus issue provides more solid evidence of intensifying weather extremes caused by anthropogenic emissions, evaluates the potential of exploitation of terrestrial carbon sink which is in turn under the threat of warming, and reveals the challenges and opportunities of anthropogenic emission mitigation from perspectives of GHG types, economic sectors, environmental co-benefits, and disproportional impacts across the stakeholders. A comprehensive framework to combine data and models from related disciplines is a crucial next step to form integrated information much needed for climate action.

Dissecting Drivers of Ozone Pollution during the 2022 Multicity Lockdowns in China Sheds Light on Future Control Direction

“…The high temperature during heatwaves was an important (even dominant) driver of the increase in the concentration of O 3 in some cities. This was because it enhanced VOC emissions from vegetation and temperature-dependent anthropogenic sources and increased NO x emissions from coal-fired power plants to meet the increasing demand for electricity. − Therefore, given our warming climate and increasing frequency of heatwaves, − controls of NO x and VOC emissions must be strengthened to counteract the long-term climate penalty and acute effect of heatwaves on O 3 concentrations in urban areas.…”

Differentiation of Carbon Sink Enhancement Potential in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region of China

“…For example, it is helpful to increase carbon sinks by increasing the area proportion of garden land, forest, and wetland and controlling the expansion of construction land. The government should strengthen the spatial planning and use control of the national territory, and strictly abide by the red line of ecological protection, strictly control the occupation of ecological space, and stabilize the role of carbon sequestration in existing forest, grassland, wetland, soils, and so on [46]. Second, improving the carbon sink capacity can make some contributions to increasing the carbon sink.…”

“…In addition to improving the carbon sink capacity and economic output per unit land area, these cities should further improve the economic output capacity per unit land area in the existing construction land. In particular, Zhangjiakou is an essential ecological barrier of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, and the government should further implement major ecological protection and restoration projects for the integrated protection and restoration of mountain, water, forest, field, lake, grassland, and sand land [46,47]. The government should also implement forest quality improvement projects to continuously increase the area and volume of forests, and carry out arable land quality improvement actions to enhance the carbon sinks of ecological agriculture [48].…”

The Induced Effects of Carbon Emissions for China’s Industry Digital Transformation

“…In September 2020, the Chinese government announced a major strategic goal to strive for peak carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 [1,2]. China's 14th Five-Year Plan proposes to support localities and key industries and enterprises with the conditions to achieve a peak in carbon emissions [3,4].…”