The Essence of "Low Carbon" in Developed Countries
In 2003, the British energy white paper "Our Energy Future: Creating a Low-carbon Economy" first put forward the concept of "low-carbon economy", which was widely cited by government departments, international organizations, academia, business circles, social groups and non-governmental organizations. The climate change negotiations in the past two years have even raised the low-carbon economy to an unprecedented height.
Britain's energy white paper puts forward future energy challenges, policy objectives and human prospects. The conclusion is that carbon dioxide emissions are the chief culprit of climate warming, and it is necessary to develop a stable energy supply and establish a new carbon emissions trading system and competition system. After the publication of the white paper, developed countries took this opportunity to raise the issue of climate change to the moral high ground, talked about building an international market structure with carbon as the core, and clearly promoted the carbon tariff system.
The low-carbon economy advocated by developed countries is a favorable strategy for post-industrialized countries in the name of protecting the global climate. On the one hand, in the process of transforming from a high-carbon economy model to a low-carbon economy model, it has become a clever strategy for western countries to use their leading position in low-carbon technology to re-expand their economic competitive advantage with developing countries by building new platforms and reconstructing new rules of the game.
In the past 20 years, developed countries have mainly devoted themselves to the development of virtual economy represented by information service industry and modern financial industry, and transferred the real economy with manufacturing as the core to developing countries. The traditional advantages of western countries in the real economy are gradually disappearing in the process of long-term relocation of manufacturing industries, especially the increasing economic strength of developing countries represented by China, which has had a significant impact on their economic competitiveness.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair expressed the strategic consideration of developed countries to rebuild their economic competitiveness through a low-carbon economy in the preface of the British energy white paper: "It will be a great opportunity for us (Britain) to become the world leader in key technologies such as fuel cells, offshore wind energy and tidal power generation in the future." The low-carbon economy mentioned in the white paper represents the expectations of some industrialized countries for future energy security and higher environmental standards, and has derived new technical standards and international rules, so that countries and enterprises with low-carbon technologies are more recognized by society and have economic dominance. Therefore, the concept of low-carbon economy in the white paper has been widely supported and responded by developed countries. According to this logic, in the global economic structure, industrialized countries and developing countries will widen the gap again because of the "low carbon" sign of economic activities.
On the other hand, in the name of developing low-carbon economy, developed countries are increasingly inclined to implement trade protectionism such as carbon tariffs, technical barriers to trade and market access, and their attempts to restrict the development of developing countries are exposed.
In recent years, it is not uncommon to add energy efficiency and environmental protection clauses and stipulate new obligations in bilateral negotiations of international trade. Developed countries are likely to take further unilateral measures to improve the environmental protection standards or energy efficiency standards of imported products and set up "green trade barriers". Some developed countries, especially EU countries, have begun to implement laws and policies to promote carbon dioxide emission reduction, and the EU is trying to impose an international carbon tax on civil aviation. After Copenhagen, the first meeting of the European Union was the formulation and supervision of carbon tariffs.
The US Clean Energy Security Act passed by the US House of Representatives stipulates in the "Special Tariff" clause that after 2020, the US government can impose a "carbon tariff" of 10 to $70 per ton of carbon dioxide exported to the United States. By setting carbon intensity standards that only American equipment and technology can meet, enterprises in developing countries are forced to buy their equipment and technology if they want to export to the United States. It can be seen that the foreign exchange reserves of developing countries will flow back to the United States by purchasing American equipment and technology and "carbon tariffs".
Developed countries not only require developing countries to develop low-carbon economy in bilateral areas, but also require developing countries to formulate their own low-carbon development strategies in international climate change negotiations. Although it means environmental protection and greenhouse gas emission reduction, its deeper purpose is to force developing countries to be kidnapped into their carefully designed orbit.
At present, China is at the low end of international industrial division, the process of upgrading traditional industries has not been completed, and environmental pollution control has just begun. Once Europe, America and other countries and regions successfully link trade with climate issues, it will have a serious adverse impact on China's foreign trade and even the whole economic development. Therefore, we must embark on a road of low-carbon economy with China characteristics.
Energy conservation and emission reduction is the core.
The concept of low-carbon economy was put forward by developed countries and then introduced to China. In the implementation, we should pay attention to the combination with the reality of China, that is, absorb new energy, technological innovation and other positive contents, and fully reflect China's national conditions, development stages and interests.
The low-carbon economy proposed by developed countries is a favorable development model for developed countries after basically solving the traditional environmental problems brought about by industrialization. China is in the middle stage of industrialization: first, it has become a "world factory" for low-end products in the international industrial chain division; Second, in the industrial structure, the "heavy chemical industry" should accelerate its development; Third, we must realize the arduous task of industrialization and urbanization at the same time. At the same time, the lack of coal-based energy structure and advanced technology will become the main challenge for China to transform into a low-carbon economy in a long period of time.
When we talk about low-carbon economy and low-carbon technology, we should not focus on carbon emission reduction, but on energy conservation and emission reduction, and focus on improving energy utilization efficiency, developing renewable energy and improving environmental quality, so as to lay a good foundation for China's economic transformation and structural adjustment and avoid taking the road taken by developed countries. While promoting the research and development of new energy and other technologies, we should give consideration to improving the energy efficiency and resource utilization efficiency of traditional industries, carry out green transformation of traditional industries, and develop new technologies, new processes and major equipment suitable for China's national conditions to provide technical support for the development of green economy. Under the framework of green economy, explore the development path in line with China's national conditions.
China's Low-carbon Choice
How to develop a low-carbon economy with China characteristics and achieve comprehensive, holistic and sustainable development?
First, advocate green development with sustainable development as the core.
Under the framework of green economy, promote the development of various fields including circular economy, low-carbon economy, ecological economy and rational consumption. The concept of low-carbon economy falls on energy saving, emission reduction, environmental protection and energy efficiency improvement, on the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, and on the adjustment and upgrading of industrial structure.
Second, low-carbon technology should be developed on the basis of scientific and technological innovation.
We should form a hierarchical system of advanced technologies and applicable technologies with independent intellectual property rights according to China's economic and social development and the future trend of the international community to cope with climate change, so as to coordinate various technologies. We should not only increase the popularization and application of applicable technologies, but also focus on strengthening the research and development and storage of strategic technologies such as new energy technologies, clean coal technologies, and energy conservation and consumption reduction.
Third, through low-carbon technologies and industrial policies, we should foster strengths and avoid weaknesses, transform and upgrade traditional industries, and cultivate strategic emerging industries.
Promoting the development of low-carbon economy and technology involves all sectors and industries of the national economy, economic restructuring, transformation and upgrading of traditional industries and cultivation of strategic emerging industries, and international scientific and technological competition and market competition. Low-carbon economy must be possessed by the soul, and traditional industries and emerging industries are the "body".
The fourth is to fully consider the countermeasures of trade protection measures such as carbon tariffs.
On the one hand, we should realize energy conservation and emission reduction independently to serve our own development; On the other hand, we should also give full consideration to countermeasures against trade protection measures such as carbon tariffs, so as not to suffer or suffer less in the global economic game.