China Launch of the Green to Scale Analysis Report

17 Existing Climate Solutions can cut Global Emissions by 25%. A report by European think-tank Sitra, Renmin University of China and other leading institutions has found that the world can cut greenhouse gas emissions significantly using only established and proven climate solutions – and at an affordable cost. The results are presented in Beijing on Saturday January 23rd.

Published

January 22, 2016

The report Green to Scale took 17 climate solutions that have already proven successful in 36 countries, and asked what would happen if these were scaled up internationally. The resulting emission reduction, 12 gigatonnes by 2030, is equal to a quarter of today’s global emissions and the combined annual emissions of China and Japan.

The 17 solutions fall under five categories: renewable energy, industry, transport, buildings and households, and forests and agriculture. Solutions that could reduce the most emissions are solar power (based on success in Germany), reduced deforestation (Brazil), wind power (Denmark), improved cook stoves (China), and reforestation and afforestation (Costa Rica).

The total annual cost of deploying all 17 solutions globally ranges from a maximum of $94 billion a year in 2030, to net savings of $171 billion per year. For comparison, $94 billion is equal to eight days of global annual fossil fuel subsidies, as estimated by the International Monetary Fund. The report also found that the solutions can generate further significant gains, when benefits such as avoided climate change and reduced air pollution are factored in.

Out of the 17 solutions analysed in the report, three are based on Chinese cases: solar water heating, improved cook stoves and industrial energy efficiency. If other countries followed the Chinese lead on these solutions, that alone would reduce global emissions by two gigatonnes.

Oras Tynkkynen, the editor of the report, said: “The Green to Scale report shows that there is a lot countries can learn from each other. China is a world leader in climate action on several fields and other countries can benefit from looking at Chinese success stories. Likewise, experiences in other countries could help China meet its national climate commitments and go beyond them.”

Green to Scale results have been presented previously in Washington, DC., Rio de Janeiro, Paris and Abu Dhabi. The Beijing event on January 23^rd is hosted in collaboration with the Renmin University of China (RUC), Green & Low Carbon Development Foundation (GDF) and Green Innovation Development Center (iGDP).

The Green to Scale report can be downloaded at www.greentoscale.net. The report’s Steering Group included representatives from Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental (CEMDA), Ethiopian Development Research Institute (EDRI), European Climate Foundation (ECF), Institute for Global Environmental Studies (IGES), International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank Group, Masdar Institute, Renmin University of China, Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), UNEP DTU Partnership, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and World Resources Institute (WRI).

Further information

Mr. Oras TYNKKYNEN, Senior Advisor, Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, oras.tynkkynen@sitra.fi, +358 50 512 1584 (in English)

Dr. WANG Ke, Renmin University of China, wangkert@ruc.edu.cn (in English and Chinese)

Download here the chinese version of the press release (PDF).