Focus on climate crisis
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Reporting on climate change is one of the major journalistic challenges of our time. The climate crisis is also one of the most important issues of humanity for SPIEGEL. For this reason, we support an international initiative that seeks to take a look this week: "Covering Climate Now" has been initiated by the Columbia Journalism Review and the Canadian newspaper "The Nation", with more than 200 media companies worldwide including the Guardian, El País, La Repubblica, The Times of India, Bloomberg or Vanity Fair. SPIEGEL is dedicating the cover story of the current issue to the climate crisis this week and every day pays special attention to mirror.de
SPIEGEL: The title of your book is "Will China save the planet?". What is your answer?
Finamore: No country can save the planet single-handedly. But China wants to do its part. The turning point came in 2013, when the air in Beijing was as dirty as in an airport smoker's lounge. Every day, 4,000 people died of respiratory problems, especially in the northern cities, where coal is heated in winter. The government realized that she had to do something.
SPIEGEL: And what did she do?
Finamore: By the end of 2013, she had launched an action plan against air pollution worth 200 billion euros. This plan was mainly concerned with coal, because much of the country's air pollution and greenhouse gases go back to coal.
SPIEGEL: Now China is not always keeping its promises, many announced economic reforms have never come. Why should it be different this time?
Finamore: When it comes to climate and clean energy, China often piles deep and surpasses itself, at least my experience. In the Paris Agreement, China has pledged that its CO2 emissions will only increase until 2030 and then decline. I think it is very likely that they will reach this goal as early as 2025, and some experts say even earlier. What the Chinese wanted to achieve by 2020 in the expansion of solar energy, they have already exceeded - by 50 percent. In 2017, China has invested more money in renewable energy than the three largest investors together: the US, the EU and Japan.
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Barbara Finamore
Will China Save the Planet?
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polity
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160
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EUR 39.71
Language: English
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SPIEGEL: At the same time, dozens of new coal-fired power plants are being built in China.
Finamore: About five years ago, the central government gave municipalities the right to approve new coal-fired power plants. Many did so immediately because there was virtually no economic risk at that time: the coal-fired power plants were guaranteed a certain duration and a fixed electricity price. When the central government realized that overcapacity was being created and ordered to cease construction, many local governments were simply secretly building. But now there are too many plants, many of them are only half the time in operation and make loss. I think a huge number will go broke, these investments are lost.
SPIEGEL: A dilemma: The central government may want to pursue a more ambitious climate policy, but local governments must provide growth and jobs. How should China overcome these internal contradictions?
Finamore: For years, the performance of mayors and provincial governors was measured solely by how fast the local economy grew. And this economy was based on coal. But the approach has changed in many places in China, at least on paper. Some cities have said goodbye to rigid economic goals. Others now regard environmental compatibility as a top priority.
SPIEGEL: Why is Chinese leadership suddenly so important to climate protection?
Finamore: For several reasons. The Chinese leadership believes in science, and the Chinese understand that climate change is taking place. China knows that it is one of the countries hardest hit by climate change. Many of its largest cities are located on the coast and are affected by sea-level rise. Water scarcity is a big problem. The increase in droughts, floods and rising temperatures are already having a significant impact on the country. It is in China's national interest to do everything it can.
SPIEGEL: That will be expensive.
Finamore: China, however, has also found that clean energy is not only important to protect the health of its citizens and the environment. It is also the biggest business opportunity of the 21st century. Clean energy creates jobs. Last year, China employed four million clean energy workers. That's more than coal mining.
SPIEGEL: What role does party leader Xi Jinping play?
Finamore: Xi has embraced this ambitious climate policy. He said clear water and green mountains are like gold and silver. In addition to averting financial risks and combating poverty, the Chinese government has named environmental pollution prevention as one of the "three hard fights" it wages.
SPIEGEL: The view is widespread that China can easily implement a policy change because it is an authoritarian system and not a democracy. How do you see that?
Finamore: China's ability to dictate politics plays an important role in the transition to a low-carbon economy. Leadership can easily dictate that $ 60 billion be spent on subsidies and R & D on electric cars. However, the most important next steps will not be based on command and control, but on market-based methods. For example, China has launched emissions trading, which could become the largest in the world.
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