Sustainable Cities
Since 2010, when China started launching its low-carbon pilot projects, three batches totaling 81 cities and 6 provinces have become low-carbon pilots. The Alliance of Peaking Pioneer Cities (APPC) was established at the US-China Climate-Smart/Low-Carbon Cities Summit in 2015, and was welcomed by a lot of cities and provinces, whom all released their own timetable for peaking CO2 emissions. In 2017, low-carbon pilots in China altogether represented 34% of the population, 56% of the GDP and 40% of carbon emissions. These pilots have given city administrators and others rich experience to further pursue low-carbon growth. It is iGDP’s mission to systematically combine these experiences — to compare the different results of policies and measures and to use different perspectives to understand the process of low-carbon transformation. We will supplement these with case studies to offer specific suggestions to cities aiming to go low-carbon.
Publications and Events
Comparative Study on Low Carbon City Development in China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea
2021-05-21
Report
This joint paper by iGDP, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) and Korea Environment Institute (KEI) analyses and compares the low carbon city policies and practices of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, with the goal of identifying sector-specific and
city-specific good practices that may be instructive to researchers and
policymakers in the wider NEA region. It examines key national-level carbon
mitigation policies and sector-specific actions, reviews both top-down and
bottom-up low carbon city policy-design and implementation mechanisms and
describes fifteen case studies on greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions.
The study is part of UNESCAP‘s North-East Asia Low Carbon City Platform (NEA-LCCP) programme
under the North-East Asian Subregional Programme for Environmental Cooperation
(NEASPEC) and will be used in NEA-LCCP information-sharing activities and to
promote regional cooperation on low carbon development and climate action.
Beyond 2°C - The Long-Term Emission Reduction Actions of Global Cities in Response to Climate Change
2020-10-30
Report
This report reviews and summarizes the actions taken by non-Chinese cities to achieve medium- and long-term emission reduction targets or “zero-carbon” emissions, with a specific focus on climate change-related target setting, plan development, and policy measures. It focuses on policies and actions that have significant reference-value for China’s cities with regard to long-term actions, and serves as a practical reference for policymakers and researchers interested in medium- and long-term deep emission reductions in cities around the world.
LOGIC: Low-carbon & Green Index for Cities
2018-09-13
Report
Low Carbon Cities
LOGIC provides a system to track progress, a database to evaluate performance, and an analytical tool to help cities identify improved solutions for low carbon and clean energy development, and early carbon peaking.
China’s Low Carbon Cities: Carbon Peak Pledges and Progress on Green Transition
2018-06-27
Factsheet
Low Carbon Cities
This factsheet provides an overview of the policies and other actions that China’s low carbon pilot cities have taken to date.
China’s Low Carbon Cities' Participation in Other Pilot Programs
2018-06-27
Factsheet
Wuhan's Green Transformation Path
2018-06-22
Infographic
This Chinese language infographic provides an overview of the key sectoral low carbon policies in the city of Wuhan.
Wuhan's Green and Low Carbon Development Milestones
2018-06-22
Infographic
This Chinese language infographic highlights the milestones in Wuhan’s low carbon policymaking.
Wuhan Low Carbon Development Strategy and Policy Practices Background Report
2018-06-22
Report
An Integrated Strategy to Assist China's Cities in Achieving an Early Carbon Emissions Peak
2018-01-08
Working Paper
Recommedations on Principles and Objective-Setting for Low-Carbon Pilots
2017-09-06
Working Paper
Alliance of Peaking Pioneer Cities Action Fact Sheet
2016-07-15
Working Paper
This factsheet provides key information about China’s Alliance of Peaking Pioneer Cities – a collection of cities that is striving to achieve peak carbon emissions earlier than the national target year.
Low Carbon Cities in China National Policies and City Action Factsheet
2015-09-01
Factsheet
