Abstract
The Paris Agreement set long-term global climate goals to pursue stabilization of the global mean temperature increase at below 2 °C (the so-called 2 °C goal). Individual countries submitted their own short-term targets, mostly for the year 2030. Meanwhile, the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs) were designed to help set multiple societal goals with respect to socioeconomic development, the environment, and other issues. Climate policies can lead to intended or unintended consequences in various sectors, but these types of side effects rarely have been studied in China, where climate policies will play an important role in global greenhouse gas emissions and sustainable development is a major goal. This study identified the extent to which climate policies in line with the 2 °C goal could have multi-sectoral consequences in China. Carbon constraints in China in the 2Deg scenario are set to align with the global 2 °C target based on the emissions per capita convergence principle. Carbon policies for NDC pledges as well as policies in China regarding renewables, air pollution control, and land management were also simulated. The results show that energy security and air quality have co-benefits related to climate policies, whereas food security and land resources experienced negative side effects (trade-offs). Near-term climate actions were shown to help reduce these trade-offs in the mid-term. A policy package that included food and land subsidies also helped achieve climate targets while avoiding the adverse side effects caused by the mitigation policies. The findings should help policymakers in China develop win–win policies that do not negatively affect some sectors, which could potentially enhance their ability to take climate actions to realize the global 2 °C goal within the context of sustainable development.
Highlights
The Paris Agreement reaffirmed the ultimate climate goal of keeping the increase in global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels [1].Individual countries submitted their near-term climate targets as part of their Nationally DeterminedContributions (NDCs)
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate actions are strongly related; climate action is SDG 13, and the concept of sustainable development was included in the Paris Agreement
We focused on two research questions: (1) What are the trade-offs and co-benefits associated with climate policies with respect to SDGs? and (2) Are there ways to implement sustainable climate policy instruments in line with the 2 °C goal that will eliminate trade-offs? The study is novel in that it includes a multi-sectoral analysis with respect to climate change mitigation in China, and provides a concrete and numerical climate policy pathway for diminished SDG-related trade-offs
Summary
The Paris Agreement reaffirmed the ultimate climate goal of keeping the increase in global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels [1].Individual countries submitted their near-term climate targets as part of their Nationally DeterminedContributions (NDCs). The Paris Agreement reaffirmed the ultimate climate goal of keeping the increase in global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels [1]. SDGs and climate actions are strongly related; climate action is SDG 13, and the concept of sustainable development was included in the Paris Agreement This implies that governments need to consider multiple objectives and be aware of the fact that climate change mitigation measures can have positive or negative consequences (i.e. co-benefits and trade-offs) in various sectors. This interactive nature of policies requires coordination between societal groups to promote sustainable development in its broadest sense
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