Supporting the Low Carbon Development of the Jiangsu Province (Phase III)
Project description
Title: Supporting the Low Carbon Development of Jiangsu Province Phase III
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMU)
Country: China
Lead executing agency: Jiangsu Department of Ecology and Environment
Overall term: 2019 to 2023
Context
China’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) aims for a peaking of CO2 emissions until 2030, reducing the CO2-emission intensity of its economy per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) by 60 per cent to 65 per cent compared to the 2005-levels by 2030, and increasing the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to around 20 per cent in the same time frame.
In this context, Jiangsu as an economically advanced province serves as an ambitious role model, aspiring to reach its carbon peak five to ten years earlier than China as a whole. Thus, Jiangsu can generate valuable knowledge and lessons learnt for other provinces. Within the framework of the 13th Five-Year-Plan (FYP, 2016-2020) Jiangsu has a carbon intensity reduction target which is 5-8 per cent higher than the average national target. Moreover, higher goals for reducing energy intensity—18 per cent for Jiangsu vs 15 per cent nationwide, and carbon intensity 19 per cent for Jiangsu vs 18 per cent nationwide—show Jiangsu’s ambitions. Jiangsu has already completed important steps in its transition and has conducted several successful low-carbon pilot projects. This project provides technical assistance to support Jiangsu in addressing the more systemic aspects of its low-carbon transformation.
Objective
The Province of Jiangsu has established a sustainable process for developing knowledge on comprehensive planning approaches for low carbon industrial parks and communities.
Approach
The project supports the transformation of Jiangsu Province towards a low carbon economy, which is in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and advances reaching the goals of the 13th and 14th Five-Year-Plan from 2016-2020 and 2021-2025 of Jiangsu as well as the early peaking of its CO2 emissions. Its Chinese implementation partner is the Jiangsu Department for Ecology and Environment. Other partners include the Jiangsu Development and Reform Commission and its local branches, Jiangsu Science and Technology Development Center, Jiangsu Information Center, Jiangsu Productivity Center, as well as various consulting companies, research institutes and universities in Jiangsu. At the local level, activities build up on lessons learnt during project phases I and II.
The project objective is to be achieved through the following strategy:
- A German-Chinese Institute and Network which are well prepared for the future are to be established within Jiangsu, ensuring knowledge transfer, technical support, long-term international exchange, and developing products and services aligned to low carbon development beyond the duration of the project. The network is to facilitate a long-term exchange between German and Chinese actors from industry, academia and politics as well as the discourse on coal phase-out. The project will support Jiangsu in setting up the network by providing capacity building and knowledge transfer to the network. Furthermore, the necessary technical expertise required by stakeholders of the network will be provided.
- Consulting content covering innovative, long-term, holistic approaches to energy management and low carbon development, as well as diversifying energy structures, are to be developed and processed in cooperation with the Institute, and are to be put into practice in Jiangsu.
- Professional and methodical expertise in holistic low carbon energy management is to be built up for permanent operation of the Institute and for distribution via the province-wide network.
Results
- In the previous phases, the project has supported the Chinese partners in planning and implementing low-carbon energy compound systems in industry parks, buildings, companies and city quarters. These pilot projects involved the use of renewable energy, energy efficient refurbishment and equipment, as well as energy management systems. They serve as models for wider application.
- The project has produced a range of information and training materials that are being used in education facilities and has conducted trainings and workshop on low-carbon energy compound system and related topics.
- The results were shared among cities in Jiangsu and disseminated to other provinces to generate wider impacts.