China
Disruption and Disarray: An analysis of pangolin scale and ivory trafficking, 2015-2024
In 2019, the illegal wildlife trade reached staggering levels. Pangolin scales and ivory were being trafficked in massive quantities from Africa to Asia, exposing a network of crime syndicates operating at an industrial scale. The sheer volume of these shipments marked a disturbing milestone, one that revealed the global reach …Large-scale school meal programs and student health: Evidence from rural China
Reducing urban-rural gaps in child health and nutrition is one of the most difficult challenges faced by many countries. This paper evaluates the impact of the Nutrition Improvement Program (NIP), a large-scale school meal program in rural China, on the health and nutritional status of compulsory education students aged 6-16. …The potential for scaling climate finance in China
This report provides an overview of the potential for climate finance, green finance and innovative finance to accelerate China’s decarbonization and support its transition to a green economy. As one of the first countries to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and start on a path towards recovery, coupled with …Towards carbon neutrality and China’s 14th Five-Year Plan: Green COVID-19 recovery, sustainable urban development and clean energy transition
China’s 14th Five-Year Plan, for the period 2021–25, presents a real opportunity for China to link its long-term climate goals with its short- to medium-term social and economic development plans. China’s recent commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 has set a clear direction for its economy, but requires ratcheting …Society, economy and forests: the unfolding forest transition in China and the lessons for the future
The paper provides a comprehensive assessment of the changes witnessed in the forest sector in China during the last three decades and the key drivers that have contributed to the country’s forest transition. Clearly, such a transition is an outcome of the convergence of several factors, including the emergence of …Driving a green future: A retrospective review of China’s electric vehicle development and outlook for the future
In just a decade, China has become the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) market. Today the country accounts for half of the world’s electric cars and more than 90% of electric buses and trucks. This report, written with partners at China EV100, traces and unfolds the incredible growth of China’s …Political economy of climate and clean energy in China
China’s emissions pathway during the coming decades is probably the single biggest factor in determining the achievability of the climate targets agreed in Paris. This fact is due to the still growing size of the Chinese economy and its carbon intensity, based on its reliance on coal to fuel the …China economic update - December 2020
Following a sharp decline in the first quarter of 2020, economic activity in China has normalized faster than expected, aided by an effective pandemic-control strategy, strong policy measures and buoyant exports. While swift, the recovery has been uneven, with domestic demand recovering more slowly than production, and consumption more slowly …China’s vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance program
China took a big step toward further reducing in-use vehicle emissions when it released a final notice of the establishment and implementation of a vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance (I/M) program in June 2020. The most important feature of this new program is that it establishes a closed-loop management mechanism …Air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions co-control evaluation in the People’s Republic of China
This paper presents a methodology that measures the benefits of co-control evaluation on mitigating local air pollutants (LAP) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). LAPs, such as carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon, sulfur oxide, nitrogen oxide, ozone, and particulate matter, as well as GHG emissions from …Between a rock and a hard place: early experience of migration challenges under the Covid-19 pandemic
This working paper was produced under the European Union Horizon 2020 funded AGRUMIG project and traces the impact of Covid-19 on migration trends in seven project countries – China, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Morocco, Nepal and Thailand. The context of global migration has changed dramatically due to the coronavirus pandemic. Both …Lessons learned on green stimulus: case studies from the global financial crisis
Today’s policymakers designing economic stimulus packages to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic can draw lessons from the most recent point of comparison, the global financial crisis. This paper gives a global overview of the green stimulus announced in 2008 and 2009 and then provides case studies of four of the …China Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and Domestic 14th Power Five-Year-Plan (FYP)
This report “China Nationally Determined Contribution and Domestic 14th Power Five-Year-Plan” shows that power industry plans to build new coal-fired power plants after 2020 contradict China’s 2060 carbon neutrality target. The report calls for China to initiate a policy process to phase out coal-fired power plants. At the same time, …Technology roadmap and costs for fuel efficiency increase and CO2 reduction from Chinese new passenger cars in 2030
To support the development of stringent yet cost-effective fuel efficiency standards for Chinese passenger cars for the 2025–2030 time frame, this study evaluates the potential technology pathways for and incremental costs of meeting the preliminary fuel efficiency target outlined in Made in China 2025. Based on methods developed in previous …How to anticipate a Green Swan event: Preparing Chinese financial markets for climate transition risk
A new report, How to anticipate a Green Swan event, outlines climate transition risk and its importance to Chinese financial institutions. The report also presents an in-depth review of current methodologies used by financial institutions and their partners to better understand climate risk in their portfolios and create more effective …Global age-sex-specific fertility, mortality, healthy life expectancy (HALE), and population estimates in 204 countries and territories, 1950–2019: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden …
Accurate and up-to-date assessment of demographic metrics is crucial for understanding a wide range of social, economic, and public health issues that affect populations worldwide. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 produced updated and comprehensive demographic assessments of the key indicators of fertility, mortality, …Smoke and Mirrors: China’s complicity in the global illegal pangolin trade
The extent to which the Chinese Government supports the continued use of pangolins, the world’s most trafficked mammal, is revealed in a new EIA report.Four months ago, Chinese State media reported that pangolin scales had been removed from traditional medicines – but research has found it is still business as …COVID-19 and E-commerce:Findings from a survey of online consumers in 9 countries
The COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed online shopping behaviours, according to a survey of about 3,700 consumers in nine emerging and developed economies.The survey, entitled “COVID-19 and E-commerce”, examined how the pandemic has changed the way consumers use e-commerce and digital solutions. It covered Brazil, China, Germany, Italy, the Republic …Electric vehicle capitals: cities aim for all-electric mobility
This briefing analyzes the contribution of major cities to the global electric vehicle market and the factors behind the success of these cities. The 25 cities with the most cumulative electric passenger vehicles through 2019 are: Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Qingdao, Zhengzhou, Changsha, Liuzhou, Weifang, Wuhan, Chongqing, and …Real-world usage of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles: fuel consumption, electric driving, and CO2 emissions
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), which combine an electric and a conventional combustion engine drive train, offer the potential to reduce global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and local air pollution if they drive mainly on electricity. However, there is limited evidence on how much driving PHEVs actually do on electricity …Inventory of glacial lakes and identification of potentially dangerous glacial lakes in Nepal, TAR China, and India
This report provides an update on the status and changes in the number and area of glacial lakes in the three basins - the Koshi, Gandaki, and Karnali (including Mahakali) – along with a detailed methodology for the identification of critical glacial lakes in remote and inaccessible mountain terrain using …