Current Status and Future Prospect of Low Carbon City Development in China

Abstract

Low-carbon development is one of the major initiatives for cities to cope with climate change. Low carbon city (LCC) has gained public and governmental awareness across China at present. The LCC practices in China were reviewed in terms of their distribution, status and major challenges. Based on the review, a strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat (SWOT) analysis were conducted to identify the key internal and external factors as well as the strategic options of SO, ST, WO and WT. In-depth comparisons and integrations among SO, ST, WO and WT resulted in six main strategies for LCC, which suggest the development priorities and details of LCC in China. The research results provide scientific basis for the urban development planning, and government decision-making in China.