Back in 2012, China estimated that they would reach their carbon dioxide emissions peak in 2030. Now we are looking at emissions peaking in 2025, with a cap on total emissions by 2016.
As the largest emitter of carbon dioxide, China has already made promises to reduce its production levels. They have endeavoured to cut the "emissions associated with every generated dollar of GDP by 45 percent between 2005 and 2020."
The estimated increase in China's emissions before the hopeful peak in 2025 is a rise of 15 to 20 percent.
Their plans to ensure this peak at such a surprisingly early stage requires placing caps on emissions, and a carbon-trading scheme involving companies responsible for 38% of Shenzhen's total emissions. Shenzhen is a sub-provincial city and one of China's most populated and wealthy cities. As a hub for Chinese manufacturing, Shenzhen is now one of the world's fastest-growing cities; any plans to reduce the area carbon dioxide mission will be a huge task, but one that, if successful, will make a huge difference.
Carbon-trading can be applied to countries and companies exchanging their pollution rights, but in this case, China is planning on allowing individual companies to sell and buy unused pollution rights. A company that does not pollute a great deal can sell their 'spare rights' to companies that tend to pollute more. There is now a financial incentive to reducing a company's pollution levels, and will encourage companies to not exceed a baseline for emissions.
These schemes will encourage the construction of cleaner natural gas and nuclear plants, and development of renewable energies. In fact, China has already earned the title for producing the most solar panels and wind turbines in the world.
In the past, there may have been reason to doubt that these promises will be kept to, but there's no denying that so far, China's estimates for their peak are looking perfectly achievable.
