2 Research on Urbanization and Low-Carbon Development in China
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first stage is the initial growth period of 1978–1999, which saw the dawn of China’s
reform and opening up and initial progress on this front. Carbon emissions rose from
1,462,168,600 tons in 1978 to 3,318,055,600 tons in 1999, with an average annual
growth of 4.18%. The second stage is characterized by a spike in emissions from
2000 to 2011, when China created and consilidated its socialist market economy,
prompting massive infrastructure construction and economic takeoff. Carbon emissions surged from 3,405,179,900 tons in 2000 to 8,805,881,200 tons in 2011, up
9.97% on average on a yearly basis. The third stage witnessed the volatile emission
reduction from 2012 to 2018, as China’s economy moved into a “new normal” phase,
pursuing sustainable, green and ecological development. Carbon emissions fell to
9,119,016,200 tons in 2016 from 9,237,771,300 tons in 2013, down 1.29%. Policies
for capacity reduction and air pollution control began to work.
2.2.2 Historic Interactions Between China’s Urbanization
and Carbon Emissions
As mentioned above, the evolution of both carbon emissions and urbanization
can be divided into three stages, as the two similar development and changing
patterns, which implies certain interaction and correlation between them. Environment Kuznets Curve suggests that in the early stage of urbanization when economic is
relatively fragile with small industrial and residential energy use, energy consumption
tends to rise slowly, so do CO 2 emissions; When urbanization accelerates, economy
would quickly expand and push up total energy use and CO 2 emissions, driven by
ballooning investments and consumptions; and in the later stage of urbanization, the
changed growth model would reduce the dependence on energy, leading to a decline
in energy use and CO 2 emissions.
Specifically, urbanization marks the complementary development of industrialization and modernization. Therefore, the research on the relationship between
urbanization and carbon emission in China should take into account the role of
industrialization.
Stage one: when China set in motion reform and opening up, both urbanization and industrialization was at low levels. The implementation of major decisions
concerning reform and opening up opened up a new chapter of growth for thermal
power. In the 6th Five-Year Plan, the central government proposed to “build thermal
power plants and bases in regions rich in coal resources. If transportation allows, such
plants should also be built in regions scarce in coal but burdened with great electricity use.” In 1985, the state council issued the Interim Provisions on Encouraging
Financing of Electricity Industry through Fund-raising and the Implementation of
Tiered Electricity Prices, encouraging diversified investment in power production,
and gradually relaxing its regulation over the industry, which proved to propel the
development of the industry, especially thermal power. In 1992, Deng Xiaoping’s
southern tour speech and the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of
43
first stage is the initial growth period of 1978–1999, which saw the dawn of China’s
reform and opening up and initial progress on this front. Carbon emissions rose from
1,462,168,600 tons in 1978 to 3,318,055,600 tons in 1999, with an average annual
growth of 4.18%. The second stage is characterized by a spike in emissions from
2000 to 2011, when China created and consilidated its socialist market economy,
prompting massive infrastructure construction and economic takeoff. Carbon emissions surged from 3,405,179,900 tons in 2000 to 8,805,881,200 tons in 2011, up
9.97% on average on a yearly basis. The third stage witnessed the volatile emission
reduction from 2012 to 2018, as China’s economy moved into a “new normal” phase,
pursuing sustainable, green and ecological development. Carbon emissions fell to
9,119,016,200 tons in 2016 from 9,237,771,300 tons in 2013, down 1.29%. Policies
for capacity reduction and air pollution control began to work.
2.2.2 Historic Interactions Between China’s Urbanization
and Carbon Emissions
As mentioned above, the evolution of both carbon emissions and urbanization
can be divided into three stages, as the two similar development and changing
patterns, which implies certain interaction and correlation between them. Environment Kuznets Curve suggests that in the early stage of urbanization when economic is
relatively fragile with small industrial and residential energy use, energy consumption
tends to rise slowly, so do CO 2 emissions; When urbanization accelerates, economy
would quickly expand and push up total energy use and CO 2 emissions, driven by
ballooning investments and consumptions; and in the later stage of urbanization, the
changed growth model would reduce the dependence on energy, leading to a decline
in energy use and CO 2 emissions.
Specifically, urbanization marks the complementary development of industrialization and modernization. Therefore, the research on the relationship between
urbanization and carbon emission in China should take into account the role of
industrialization.
Stage one: when China set in motion reform and opening up, both urbanization and industrialization was at low levels. The implementation of major decisions
concerning reform and opening up opened up a new chapter of growth for thermal
power. In the 6th Five-Year Plan, the central government proposed to “build thermal
power plants and bases in regions rich in coal resources. If transportation allows, such
plants should also be built in regions scarce in coal but burdened with great electricity use.” In 1985, the state council issued the Interim Provisions on Encouraging
Financing of Electricity Industry through Fund-raising and the Implementation of
Tiered Electricity Prices, encouraging diversified investment in power production,
and gradually relaxing its regulation over the industry, which proved to propel the
development of the industry, especially thermal power. In 1992, Deng Xiaoping’s
southern tour speech and the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of