[Epoch Times November 16, 2021](Epoch Times reporter Luo Ya and Cheng Jing interviewed and reported) The two-week COP26 United Nations climate summit finally reached a global agreement to combat climate change on the 13th. Analysis believes that although extreme weather is increasing, climate change may still be a false proposition.
The “Glasgow Climate Pact” reached by various countries agreed to “gradually reduce” the use of coal for power generation, and limit the earth’s temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. This is the first time in history that a UN summit clearly stated a plan to reduce the use of coal.
Here, the United States and China unexpectedly issued a joint statement, promising to strengthen climate cooperation in the next 10 years, and agreed on steps on a series of issues, including methane emissions, decarbonization, and the transition to clean energy. But there is no specific commitment.
However, regarding countries agreeing to “gradually reduce” rather than “phasing out” coal, conference chairman Alok Sharma (also translated by Cen Haowen) said he was “deeply disappointed” by the development of the incident.
Is emission reduction an impossible task?Most of China’s energy comes from coal
China is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases. The CCP promised to reach its peak carbon emissions by 2030 and carbon neutral (zero emissions) by 2060.
The Wall Street Journal said on Monday (15th) that China’s climate task is particularly difficult for two reasons. First of all, China is the world‘s factory, especially in heavy industry, and its economy is far more carbon-intensive than the United States, Japan, and the European Union.
In addition, unlike the United States, China lacks a vibrant domestic natural gas industry to help quickly replace coal and provide a convenient, on-off, clean combustion alternative, natural gas industry and intermittent nature of solar and wind energy. There is also no good combination.
Last month, many provinces in China have already suffered from power shortages, and the economy has suffered greatly. The Wall Street Journal said that the three pillars of China’s economic growth may be faltering, with GDP growth of 4.9% in the third quarter, far below expectations.
Wang Jun, an independent scholar in Beijing, told The Epoch Times that if coal is completely abandoned in the next few decades, China’s pace of development is bound to slow down significantly. If the emission reduction is too fast, the most obvious thing is that a lot of labor, machinery and equipment are idle. Those factories have hundreds of thousands of employees. They have no living expenses and have to spend the New Year. How do they live, so it is impossible to live fast.
“On average, more than 60% of electricity in mainland China comes from coal. How would you say it? The cost is very high. For example, building a power station requires a long investment period. At least ten years can see results.” He said, “( (Coal use) is very difficult even to reduce to 10%. Because it involves the transformation of the entire set of systems. It is not so easy to change the power supply equipment, power-using machines, etc.”
Wang Jun believes that from the 70 years of the Communist Party in power, energy has always been dependent on coal. China produces many solar panels and sells them overseas. Solar panels are actually very environmentally friendly. But in China, very few households and companies are using this thing to give foreigners clean energy. China is also unable to import expensive clean energy, such as hydropower and wind energy.
No specific plan for the climate summit, funding is the problem
At this summit, aid was a controversial issue. Developed countries promised in 2009 to provide 100 billion U.S. dollars to emerging economies each year, but they did not fulfill it. General Assembly Chairman Sharma said that by 2025, about 500 billion U.S. dollars will be spent.
How much money is needed for this ambitious emission reduction plan? According to the latest estimates of the International Renewable Energy Agency, to achieve the goal of controlling the temperature rise within 1.5 degrees Celsius in the Paris Agreement, it will cost 131 trillion U.S. dollars from now to 2050, which is higher than the world‘s 85 trillion U.S. dollars last year. The total GDP of China is also much more than the previously estimated 98 trillion U.S. dollars.
Lin Xiangkai, a researcher at the Chinese Research Institute in Taiwan, believes, “I don’t believe that the two-week climate change conference can get a specific plan, that is, a directional plan. There are also noisy (negotiations).”
Due to international pressure, Beijing has also made many promises. Many analysts believe that the climate issue is one of the few projects that Beijing can cooperate with the West, and the CCP is trying to please the West.
Lin Xiangkai believes that there is no need to solve anything now, but he just agrees to the direction of this solution, “Wait for that thing to be done, maybe one or two years later, then let’s talk about it later.”
“It’s more important for its regime to protect its lives,” Lin Xiangkai said. Otherwise, what would Beijing do? “The international community will not kill people. It is shameful at most, that is, you are a powerful country, a big country, and you may be ashamed in the international community and will not die.”
“But domestic problems will be very serious. Regional, individual, personal income distribution, and regional development gaps are still many. That is the big problem.” Lin Xiangkai said that the biggest risks facing Beijing are these.
Is climate change a false proposition?Extreme weather is increasing
There are also scholars who rant against this global climate summit. Beijing economist Peng Dingding told The Epoch Times, “There is no evidence to support so-called global warming.” Indicates global warming.”
“This is a false proposition. There is no global warming,” Peng Dingding said. “What needs to be investigated now is not what to do with global warming, but how the rumor of global warming arises.”
For politicians who are keen to engage in this interaction, Peng Dingding said, “It must be for votes in a democratic country. In an authoritarian country like China, it may be to increase their power and strengthen their power.”
To achieve carbon neutrality and carbon compliance, developing countries need financial support from developed countries. Peng Dingding said, “Maybe it is to create opportunities for corruption. Create opportunities for corruption or private pockets.”
“Including the United Nations Special Committee on Meteorology and Climate Change (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC), their income is also very high, but they have never put forward any correct proof that the global climate is undergoing a crisis of change.” He said.
However, Lin Xiangkai said, “there are fewer and fewer people who think of false propositions. More and more people think that this problem is serious” and more and more extreme weather, “when you think this is not a false proposition, it may be too late.”
Editor in charge: Li Qiong#
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