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Barriers Social Acceptance
Barriers Social Acceptance
Barriers Social Acceptance
China’s renewable
issued a statement that the U.S.
should beware of introducing protec-
tionist measures (one of the calls by
energy revolution
the Coalition was for 100% import
tariffs). It stated that China’s policies
met World Trade Organisation rules,
I
S INNOVATION or ecosystem the best route to and were designed to address climate
change and energy security, pointing
success? Today, China is the world’s largest renew- out that the U.S. had adopted similar
able energy market, with more installed wind than policies to drive growth in its own
anywhere else (41.8GW at the end of 2010); and has renewable industries (for more infor-
mation on the dispute see news analysis
the world’s largest solar manufacturing industry. on page 41).
The wind sector shows the scale of It has closed polluting factories, How to fund clean energy
China’s commitment – in 2004 there implemented efficiency standards, set It seems that at the heart of this
was less than 1GW of installed wind in renewables targets and is even trial- dispute lies fierce disagreement about
China, but by the end of 2010 there was ling carbon trading in a number of how we are meant, as a global society,
nearly 45GW. While solar installations cities and provinces before a national to address global challenges. In a situa-
at the end of 2010 stood at only 860MW roll-out. In its 12th Five-Year Plan, tion where the requirements of manu-
(the country seeing solar as a manufac- policymakers called for non-fossil facturing policy, job creation, energy
turing export game, to the annoyance fuel energy production to reach (and security and climate change may be at
of others, see page 41) China has actu- stay above) 11% cent of total energy odds, how should the greater benefit be
ally announced plans to increase solar production by 2015 (15% by 2020), and decided?
capacity 20-fold by 2020, to 20GW. aims for a reduction in CO2 emissions If China’s solar manufacturing
Changhua Wu, Greater China of 17%, by 2015. This is in addition to supports wider global deployment,
Director, The Climate Group says, its pledge to cut emissions intensity by greater scale up, and lower cost of
“China’s need...to shift its current 40%-45%, by 2020 (from 2005 levels). solar, many argue this is a good thing
energy structure and mix away from According to Paul Go, Ernst & (including the Coalition for Affordable
...fossil-based energy...towards low Young cleantech leader, Greater Solar Energy, CASE, which is lobbying
carbon and clean energy [is driving China, China’s success illustrates back hard against CASM); in actual
growth]. [And] the Government has what is necessary to build an indus- fact could it be said that the current
put together a whole landscape of [fis- try: “Central Government policy sup- argument simply reflects the fact that
cal] policies that support its efforts to port; SOEs that dominate the heavy China has been more effective in its
translate [such] ambition into reality.” industries; and a vibrant capital mar- employment of subsidy, regulation and
ket (both capital market for IPO and legislation to drive the development of
Aggressive policies PE/VC investors) to provide finance.” its renewables industry?
China is an Annex II signatory But while the rapid and effective Both the U.S. and China have
to the Kyoto Protocol, with no legal growth of the renewables industry devoted significant funds to the
requirement to cut emissions, but it seems like a great success story, it has development of the renewables
has implemented policies and regula- had consequences elsewhere. The price industry, but China has vastly sur-
tions to address growing environ- of solar panels globally has fallen 75% passed the U.S. in investment. China
mental issues and promote cleantech (40% in 2011 alone) in part due to a saw US$49 billion invested in 2010,
markets. glut in global supply. This collapse in making it by far the largest source
Market
Is the [current] argument actually not up, Chinese companies are likely to
look to acquire innovation (either
China has been more effective in its Taylor Wessing, in a recent survey
and analysis on the impact of China