Developing low-carbon cities through pilots

Nationwide rapid urbanization has been a key driver of economic growth, energy consumption, and carbon emission in China. To avoid the high energy consumption and pollution present in other industrialized countries, China is making the economic and social transition from a high-carbon model to a low-carbon model. The low-carbon city pilots (LCCPs) programme was launched by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) to resolve the dilemma between economic development and transitioning to a low-carbon model. The status quos of these pilots in different regions have set CO2 intensity per unit of gross domestic product (GDP), CO2 emissions per capita, CO2 reduction targets, and CO2 discharge peak times. Traditional policies, including those aimed at improving energy efficiency, applying renewable energy, adjusting sector structure, and increasing carbon sequestration capacity, are being widely applied in the form of command-mandatory tools, market-economic tools, and voluntary tools. By summarizing these policies, low-carbon development plans, LCCP governments reports, and a case study focusing on Zhenjiang (practical experiences based on city features), this article proposes implications for how to achieve the LCCPs’ low-carbon goals.Policy relevanceChina has launched a low-carbon city pilots (LCCPs) programme to promote its future low-carbon urbanization, but the cities concerned have not yet managed to achieve true ‘low-carbon' status in terms of CO2 per unit of GDP and CO2 per capita. To improve the performance of LCCPs, central government should provide guidance on institutional framework and policies, while local governments should establish carbon management systems. Both central and local governments should establish a policy assessment system and use integrated policy tools as part of their low-carbon development plans.