At present, the world is undergoing prominent climate change progress as it is growing more and more warm. Increased temperature changes the structure and pattern of crop growing: the northward accumulative temperature zone is beneficial to the growth of crops in the high altitude, however, the warming climate would cause frequent disasters and widespread agricultural diseases and pests, leading to unstable development and production. Meanwhile, the agricultural sector is also a major carbon emitter during its production. To reduce greenhouse emissions, we need to improve the production and management of crops, soil and livestock, and enhance plant growth substances and carbon sequestration of the soil. By taking active policy measures and adaptive actions, climate change would weaken its blow to nature, society and economy at large.
Summary of policies on climate change
China's climate change policies can be divided into four stages:
1) Starting period (1990-2006): China firstly included climate issues into the national development plan, set up Work Coordination Group on Climate Change which was renamed National Coordinating Group on Climate Change Response responsible for participating international negotiations and making climate policies. Main policies include:
·In 1992, China signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
·In 1994, China put forward the topic of climate change adaptation in China’s Agenda 21 for the first time.
·In 1998, China signed the Kyoto Protocol (toke effect in 2005).
·In 1995, Atmospheric Pollution Prevention Law, first revised in 2000, was further revised in 2015 and 2018.
·In 2005, China carried out the Renewable Energy Law.
2) Development period (2007-2014): China gradually improved the system and mechanism for addressing climate change. China was experiencing high speed economic growth, environmental conflicts and emission reduction appeared as enormous pressure, the National Plan for Addressing Climate Change (2014-2020) came out to guide climate change measures in China. The 13th Five-year Planning Outline established special policies under the “active response to global climate change”:
·In 2007, China's National Climate Change Program (Guofa [2007] No.17)
·In 2007, China's Special Scientific and Technological Action on Climate Change (Guokefashezi [2007] No.407)
·In 2008 to date, the white paper: China's Policies and Actions on Climate Change
·In 2011, the 12th Five-Year Plan for Controlling Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Guofa [2011] No.41)
·In 2012, The 12th Five-Year Plan for Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction (Guofa [2012] No.40)
·In 2013, National Climate Change Adaptation Strategies (Fagaiqihou [2013] No.2252)
·In 2014, 2014-2015 Action Plan for Energy conservation, Emission Reduction and Low-carbon Development (Guobanfa [2014] No.23)
·In 2014, National Climate Change Program (2014-2020) (Fagaiqihou [2014] No.2347)
3) Transformation period (2015-2019): Taking emission reduction as the target to drive for the transformation of economic development mode. During this period, China's economic growth rate was relatively stable; China embarked on a path of green and low-carbon development through the supply-side structural reform. Major policies include:
·In 2015, China submitted to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change intensified Action on Climate Change --- China's Nationally Determined Contribution, which set the goal of peaking carbon dioxide emission by 2030 and cutting carbon dioxide emission per unit of GDP by 60-65%.
·In 2016, Comprehensive Work Plan for Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction during the 13th Five-Year Plan Period (Guofa [2016] No.74)
·In 2017, On the Issuance of the "Plan for the Construction of the National Carbon Emission Right Trading Market (Power Generation Industry)" (Fagaiqihougui [2017] No.2191) by the State Development and Reform Commission, working out a plan to tackle climate change, and drafting the outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan on Climate Change.
·In 2019, National Forestry and Grassland Administration issued 2019 Key Work Arrangement and Division Plan for Forestry and Grassland to Address Climate Change.
·In 2019, National Forestry and Grassland Administration issued 2019 Work Plan for National Forestry Carbon Sink Measurement and Monitoring System Construction.
4) Double-goal period (2020-now) : China has set its nationally determined contribution targets, promising to peak carbon emissions by 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2060. Major policies were made to achieve the target.
·In 2020, the Ministry of Ecological Environment issued National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy 2035, and set up Expert Advisory Committee on Climate Change. Policies to enhance the capacity of nature to adapt to climate change, strengthen the resilience of the economy to adapt to climate change, and enhance the level of social adaptation to climate change.
·In 2021, the Ministry of Ecological Environment issued Interim Regulations on the Administration of Carbon Emission Trading (Revised Draft) , emphasizing the basic principle of "government guidance" and clarifying the division of responsibilities; improving specific rules and strengthening risk prevention and control.
·In 2021, the Guiding Opinions on Coordinating and Strengthening Work Related to Climate Change and Ecological And Environmental Protection by the Ministry of Ecological Environment pointed out responsibilities of the leading department on climate change, improving areas of weak links in awareness, policy tools, means and measures, and basic capabilities, and promoting synergies between climate change measures, environmental governance and ecological conservation and restoration.
Agricultural adaptive measures on climate change
1) Promote hi-level farmland construction. Focusing on functional areas for grain production and protection areas for important agricultural production, land leveling, soil improvement, irrigation, drainage and water-saving facilities construction, strengthening the development of high-level farmland and irrigation and water conservancy facilities, and increasing overall agricultural production capacity.
2) Generalize water-saving technologies. We have set up 220 high-level demonstration areas for dry farming and water-saving agriculture in north and northwest China. Dry farming and water saving technologies of rainfall collection, rainwater storage, furrow irrigation, saving irrigation, fertigation, and drought and stress resistance etc. have been demonstrated and promoted to increase the efficiency of water use.
3) Increase irrigation capacity of farmland. Implementing national water-saving initiatives upon the National Action Plan for Water Conservation and its work division plan by National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Water Resources. By June 2020, 30 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government have issued implementation plans for the national water-saving action, comprehensively strengthening control over the "three red lines" of water resources management, controlling both total and intensity of water resources consumption. We continued to improve farmland irrigation and drainage facilities, and the effective utilization coefficient of farmland irrigation water reached 0.559 by the end of 2019.
4) Enhance ecosystem services. We will move faster to draw red lines for ecological protection and integrate and optimize protected areas. In line with urban and county territorial space planning, the red line for ecological protection will be clearly set, targeted and implemented.
5) Strengthen irrigation and infrastructure construction. 2.4 kilometers of small and medium-sized rivers have been harnessed since 2019; more than 6,700 small and dangerous reservoirs were reinforced; nine more major water-logging areas were added in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and drainage capacity in 53 flat and water-logged areas were constructed. The ability of farmland to harvest during drought and flood would be enhanced through such major water conservancy projects.
6)Develop climate-smart agriculture. Improve agricultural productivity, adapt to climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and develop climate-smart agriculture by adopting various measures: conservative farming, less and efficient chemical use, climate-smart optimal variety and accurate meteorological information application etc.
Summary of policy experience
1) A multi-tiered management and policy system to address climate change based on Chinese economic growth mode and global climate policies, adopting the “dual-wheel driver” policy of mitigation and adaptation. Legislation and regulations were introduced in key provinces. The annual report on China's Policies and Actions on Climate Change has been continuously published to clarify the process and path of China's response to climate change. Policy systems and action plans have been made such as National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (2013-2020) and National Plan for Addressing Climate Change (2014-2020), incorporating “mitigation” and “adaptation” into China’s climate change policy system of “dual-driver”. Local legislation and regulations on climate change responses have been unveiled in Qinghai, Heilongjiang and Sichuan provinces, providing profound practical basis for national research and formulation of climate change laws.
2) Strengthen the capacity construction for climate change responses. China consecutively introduced China's Special Technological Action on Climate Change, Research on National Technological Development Strategy for Climate Change Adaptation, and The 13th Five-Year Plan for Scientific and Technological Innovation on Climate Change among other document, in order to establish relatively stable government fund sources including national science and technology programs’ input in climate change, special funds for energy conservation and emission reduction, and investment fund in low carbon Industries etc. Besides, social funds were attracted to tackle climate change issues. A number of state-level scientific research bases and a large National Climate Monitoring Network have been built; professionals in the field of climate change trained and educated; we will enhance our capacity to respond to climate change comprehensively.
3) Enhance agriculture's ability to adapt to climate change. Agriculture is directly affected by climate change. By improving irrigation and water conservancy facilities and water-saving irrigation projects, developing high-level farmland and climate-smart agriculture, conservative farming, we will enhance the resilience of agriculture to climate change with carbon mitigation and sequestration from the Zero Growth Initiative on Pesticide and Fertilizer Use.
4) Drive the transformation of production and consumption modes by green and low-carbon philosophy publicity. Ecological civilization and high-level development as a national development strategy, particularly upon the goal of peak carbon emission and carbon neutrality, driving the rapid transformation of domestic production mode and consumption style. Green and low-carbon production and consumption is inevitable for China to tackle climate change. The Notice on Launching Activities of 2021 National Energy Conservation Publicity Week and Low-carbon Day issued by National Development and Reform Commission on August 6, 2021, encouraging low-carbon production and lifestyle, carrying out low-carbon publicity in transportation, energy, agriculture and other industries cross regions, and promoting low-carbon development in green enterprise transformation, dual-carbon popularization, green finance and successful practices.
5) Make climate change policies mainstream, local and synergistic by including climate change policies into government planning, industrial development plan and policy making, and major economic activities in particular. Meanwhile, promote the climate change and agricultural adaptability, education and training, to make it a voluntary action in the society, driving the transformation for a green agricultural production, a climate-smart agriculture. Flexible response and control of climate risks is of great significance for developing countries struggling with their development needs and climate risks.
About the author: Zheng Haixia, Agricultural Information Institute of CAAS
References:
1.Bo Fan, Zhuang Guiyang. Evolution and Stage Characteristics of China's Climate Change Policies, Yuejiang Academic Journal, 2018(6).
2.Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China, 2020 Annual Report on China's Policies and Actions on Climate Change, 2021.
3.Global Climate Change and China's Action Plan--Climate Governance in China during the 14th Five-Year Plan (by writing), Yuejiang Academic Journal, 2020(11).
