A Low Carbon City Action Plan for one of China’s Low Carbon Pilot Cities

Abstract

In Chinese cities urbanization, industrialization and a changing life style of the population are driving growing energy consumption in buildings, industries and transportation and an increase in CO2 emissions. Facing these challenges, the National Development and Reform Commission has recognised an urgent need for transformation and designated 8 Cities and 5 Provinces in China to pioneer the planning and implementation of concrete low carbon measures, aiming to decrease the CO2 intensity of the economic development, to increase the energy efficiency of urban systems and to improve the quality of life in growing urban regions. In this context, a Sino-Austrian cooperation has been initiated between the Development and Reform Commission of Nanchang, one of the 8 selected Low Carbon Pilot Cities, and the Austrian Institute of Technology to develop a comprehensive set of Low Carbon City Measures and a Low Carbon City Action Plan, proposing specific technological and non-technological measures and concrete actions, capable of introducing important impulses targeting the increase of energy efficiency and the reduction of CO2 emissions in Nanchang. A team of experts has developed an integrated Low Carbon City Action Plan, including sectors such as buildings, energy supply and consumption, industries, transportation, agriculture and urban planning.