Foreword.....................................................................................................................10
Chapter 1 National Circumstances ..........................................................................12
1.1 Natural conditions and resources..................................................................................12
1.2 Population and society ....................................................................................................17
1.3 Economic development...................................................................................................21
1.4 Brief introduction of the major sectors........................................................................24
1.5 Strategies and objectives of national development ...................................................29
1.6 Institutional arrangement for the preparation of Initial National Communication..........................30
Chapter 2 National Greenhouse Gas Inventory......................................................32
2.1 Scope of the national greenhouse gas inventories.....................................................32
2.2 Methods for preparing the greenhouse gas inventories............................................33
2.3 The 1994 national greenhouse gas inventories ..........................................................36
2.4 Uncertainties .....................................................................................................................44
2.5 Main factors affecting future emissions ......................................................................46
Chapter 3 Impacts of Climate Change and Adaptation.........................................49
3.1 Methods and models for the assessment .....................................................................49
3.2 Characteristics of climate change in China.................................................................49
3.3 Water resources.................................................................................................................51
3.4 Agriculture........................................................................................................................55
3.5 Terrestrial ecosystem.......................................................................................................57
3.6 Changes in sea level, coastal zone, and offshore ecosystem...................................61
3.7 Adaptation measures........................................................................................................66
3.8 Uncertainties and priorities for further study .............................................................71
Chapter 4 Policies and Measures Related to Climate Change Mitigation ...........73
4.1 Comprehensive policies and measures ........................................................................73
4.2 Energy sector.....................................................................................................................83
4.3 Energy conservation ........................................................................................................95
4.4 Industry ............................................................................................................................102
4.5 Energy conservation in buildings ...............................................................................109
4.6 Communications and transportation .......................................................................... 111
4.7 Agriculture......................................................................................................................115
4.8 Forestry ............................................................................................................................118
4.9 Municipal waste treatment ...........................................................................................122
4.10 International cooperation............................................................................................124
Chapter 5 Research and Systematic Observation.................................................128
5.1 Present status of the climate system observation ....................................................128
5.2 Problems in climate system observation and suggestions for improvement .....133
5.3 Past and present research on climate change............................................................135
5.4 Major achievements in climate change research .....................................................136
5.5 Problems and Directions of climate change researches .........................................137
Chapter 6 Education, Training and Public Awareness........................................139
6.1 Education and public awareness raising....................................................................139
6.2 Training and public awareness raising.......................................................................141
6.3 Outlook............................................................................................................................146
Chapter 7 Needs for Funds, Technologies and Capacity Building......................148
7.1 Development of national greenhouse gases inventory ...........................................148
7.2 Mitigation and adaptation.............................................................................................150
7.3 Needs for capacity building .........................................................................................154

Index of Figures
.........................................................................................................................................
Figure 1.1 China’s location in the world .....................................................................12
Figure 1.2 The administrative divisions of the People’s Republic of China ...............12
Figure 1.3 General situation of China’s topography....................................................14
Figure 1.4 China’s land resources in 2000...................................................................14
Figure 1.5 China’s river basin system..........................................................................15
Figure 1.6 China’s forest resources from year 1994 .2000.........................................16
Figure 1.7 Composition of aggregate volume of China’s proven energy resources and remaining exploitable energy resources......16
Figure 1.8 Change of China’s population from 1970 to 2000 .....................................18
Figure 1.9 Changes of China’s growth rate of population during 1970-2000 .............18
Figure 1.10 Comparison of population growth and life spans between China and the world in 1994 ..................................................................19
Figure 1.11 Trend of change on China’s poverty-stricken population ........................21
Figure 1.12 China’s economic structure ......................................................................22
Figure 1.13 Comparison of per capita energy consumption between China and the world ......................................................................................23
Figure 1.14 China’s total passenger-kilometers from 1994 to 2000............................27
Figure 1.15 China’s total freight ton-kilometers of major forms of transport from 1994 to 2000 .....................................................................27
Figure 2.1 Breakdown of China’s Greenhouse gas emissions in 1994........................37
Figure 2.2 Carbon dioxide emissions by sources from the energy sector in China in 1994.......................................................................................38
Figure 2.3 Carbon dioxide emissions by sources from industrial processes in China in 1994...................................................................................39
Figure 2.4 Methane emissions by sources in China in 1994........................................41
Figure 3.1 Trends of the changes of average temperature in winter from 1952 to 2003 in China.......................................................................50
Figure 3.2 Shortage in supplying drinking water to residents caused by drought in North China..........................................................................52
Figure 3.3 Inundation of vast rural areas caused by the flooding in Weihe river in China in 2003........................................................................53
Figure 3.4 Change of Glacier No. I at the source of the Urumqi River in Tianshan ...53
Figure 3.5 Changes of the average runoff depth under SRES A2 and B2 scenarios relative to baseline ......................................................54
Figure 3.6 Distribution of vulnerable areas regarding per capita water resources in China in 2075....................................................................55
Figure 3.7 Distribution of the vulnerable ecosystem in China ....................................58
Figure 3.8 Interrelationships between the terrestrial ecosystem productivity, soil heterotrophic respiration and climate change in China...59
Figure 3.9 The possible submerged area by sea water under the scenario of sea level rise of 30 cm on the condition of the present tide-protecting facilities and the highest historic tidal level in the Pearl River Delta..................................................................63
Figure 3.10 Wetlands at the Yellow River Mouth.......................................................64
Figure 3.11 Coral bleaching in Weizhou Island in Guangxi, China............................65
Figure 3.12 Coral bleaching in Qingge, Qionghai, Hainan, China..............................65
Figure 3.13 Mangrove in Guangxi, China. ..................................................................65
Figure 4.1 Wind farm in Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region ................................87
Figure 4.2 Fuel saving stove promoted in China’s rural areas ....................................91
Figure 4.3 Solar water-heating system for building in Kunming city, Yunnan Province ..............................................................................................92
Figure 4.4 Trend of China’s energy consumption intensity of GDP ...........................98
Figure 4.5 Continuous casting ratio of steel-making in iron and steel industry and changes of energy consumption per ton steel ( 1991..2000)...106
Figure 4.6 Natural gas-fuelled public buses in Beijing..............................................115
Figure 4.7 People converting farmland into grassland in the Western Region of China ...........................................................................................117
Figure 4.8 The “four in one” eco-agricultural model in Northern China ..................118
Figure 5.1 Distribution of some atmospheric baseline stations .................................129
Figure 5.2 Distribution of the ecological stations in China’s Ecosystem Research Network.................................................................................131
Figure 5.3 Roles of China’s meteorological satellites in the global climate observation system ........................................................................132
Figure 6.1 Homepage of China Climate Change Info-Net ........................................142
Figure 6.2 Workshop on Climate Change and Ecological Environment...................143
Figure 6.3 International Symposium on Climate Change..........................................144
Figure 6.4 Booklet for Public Awareness on Global Climate Change ......................144
Figure 6.5 Works of advertisement design competitionon climate change for public welfare..................................................................................145

Index of Table
Table 1-1 International comparison of China’s population growth in 2000 ........19
Table 1-2 Change of employment structure of China’s labor force from 1994 to 2000............................................................................................19
Table 1-3 Comparison of medical infrastructure facilities between China and high-income countries in 2000 ...........................................20
Table 1-4 Comparison of China’s per capita output of major products with world average level ......................................................................21
Table 1-5 Sectors contributing to the added value of China’s tertiary industry .22
Table 1-6 Changes of development gaps between the east, the middle and the west region of China ............................................................23
Table 1-7 Ratio changes in primary and medium products and industrial finished products in China’s import and export products...24
Table 1- 8 The structure of China’s consumption of primary energy ..................24
Table 1-9 Major indicators of China’s energy consumption in 1994 and 2000 ...25
Table 1-10 China’s major transportation means....................................................26
Table 1-11 Total passenger traffic (TPR) change in China ...................................26
Table 1-12 Total freight traffic change in China ....................................................27
Table 1-13 Consumption of chemical fertilizers on farmlands in China..............28
Table 1-14 Number of major livestock on hand in China......................................29
Table 1-15 Summary of China’s National Circumstances in 1994........................31
Table 2-1 1994 national greenhouse gas inventory of China (Gigagram) ............36
Table 2-2 1994 greenhouse gas emissions in CO2 equivalent ................................37
Table 2-3 Carbon dioxide emissions from industrial processes in China in 199438
Table 2-4 1994 greenhouse gas inventory of land-use changes and forestry sector in China...............................................................................39
Table 2-5 Methane emissions in China in 1994.......................................................40
Table 2-6 Methane emissions from agriculture sector in 1994 ..............................41
Table 2-7 Methane emissions from waste treatment sector in China in 1994......42
Table 2-8 Nitrous oxide emissions in China in 1994 ...............................................42
Table 2-9 Nitrous oxide emissions from agriculture sector in China in 1994 ......43
Table 3-1 Changes of surface air temperature and precipitation in China under 2×CO2 scenario .................................................................50
Table 3-2 Changes in future surface air temperature and precipitation in China projected by GCMs under four GHG emissions scenarios...51
Table 3-3 Water resources of the Yellow River, Huaihe and Haihe rivers and the reduction of their runoff into the sea ...................52
Table 3-4 Statistics on the changes of glaciers in west China since the Little Ice Age (LIA) ...............................................................................53
Table 3-5 Projection of the sea level rise in five coastal areas in China ...............62
Table 4-1 Some of China’s laws related to climate change ....................................75
Table 4-2 Some technologies and projects helpful to the greenhouse gas emission and encouraged by Chinese government .......76
Table 4-3 Industrial policy documents issued by the State Council of China......79
Table 4-4 China’s economic incentive policies for sustainable development .......80
Table 4-5 China’s energy planning and programming ..........................................84
Table 4-6 Policy and regulations for developing cogeneration..............................88
Table 4-7 Rules and regulations on energy-saving management issued in China .........................................................................................................95
Table 4-8 Documents on energy-conservation technologies and products issued by relative Chinese government departments...100
Table 4-9 Policies and measures concerning building-material industry...........102
Table 4-10 Comprehensive energy consumption per unit product of some major building Table material products [1990-2000]...104
Table 4-11 Relevant policies and measures of iron and steel industry ...............104
Table 4-12 Changes of unit energy consumption of the main chemical industrial sub-sectors (1990-2000) ..............................................107
Table 4-13 Relevant regulations and standards of the chemical industry..........107
Table 4-14 Changes of per unit energy consumption of China’s main communications and transportation sectors [1990 -2000]...112
Table 4-15 Relevant policies, rules and regulations adopted by the authorities of communications and transportation to improve the energy efficiency and energy saving.........112
Table 4-16 Changes of land areas in forestry sector.............................................118
Table 4-17 China’s ecological forest projects........................................................119
Table 4-18 China’s municipal waste treatment facilities [1994 - 2000] ..............122
Table 4-19 Relevant regulations and rules for municipal waste treatment........122
Table 4-20 Some technical policies and standards for municipal waste treatment ..................................................................................................123
Table 5-1 Types of the meteorological observation stations under China Meteorological Administration and the items of observation...128
Table 5-2 Types of China’s marine observation stations and the items of observation........................................................................................130
Table 5-3 Types of the ecological stations in China’s Ecosystem Research Network and the observation items.................................130
Table 5-4 China’s meteorological satellite series ..................................................132
Table 6-1 Survey Results on sources of information related to climate change issues...........................................................................................141
Table 7-1 Some Needs for Environmentally Sound Technologies in China.......150
Table 7-2 Some of technology needs for adaptation to climate change in China ......................................................................................................152
Table 7-3 Some of technology and equiment needs for climate systematic observation in China...................................................................153
Table 7-4 Main areas of capacity building ............................................................154

Index of Boxes
Box 4-1 Program of Action for Sustainable Development in China in the early 21st Century ............................................................................74
Box 4-2 Riding Wind Program .................................................................................86
Box 4-3 DSM project in Suoli Coal Mine, Huaibei, Anhui Province ....................89
Box 4-4 Project of Transporting Natural Gas from West to East.........................90
Box 4-5 China’s Brightness Program.......................................................................94
Box 4-6 Town gas energy-saving project in Yangquan city , Shanxi Province ....95
Box 4-7 City transport.a case study in Beijing...................................................114
Box 4-8 Contracted Energy Management .............................................................125
Box 6-1 Consideration on Long-term strategies and short-term action plans of raising public awareness on climate change......146

Foreword

Global climate change is one of the key common concerns of the international community, which would have significant impacts not only on the global environment and ecosystem but also on many other social-economic domains of production, consumption and life-style of the human society. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC, hereinafter referred to as the Convention) clearly stipulates that all parties to the Convention, on the basis of equity and in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective
capabilities, should protect the climate system for the benefit of present and future generations of mankind, and the developed countries should take the lead in addressing climate change and its adverse impacts. The Convention also requires all Parties to submit national inventories of anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases, and develop, implement and publish the national program, which include measures to mitigate and adapt to climate change, promote the development and application of technologies for the mitigation and
prevention of the anthropogenic emission of greenhouse gases, enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases, develop program to adapt to climate change and promote information exchange on climate change and measures to cope with it as well as education and training and raise the public awareness to climate change.

In accordance with the Convention, each party has the obligation to submit its national communication on climate change, including the national inventories of anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks, the overall description of the measures taken or envisaged for the implementation of the Convention as well as other information that the party considers suitable to submit. The Chinese government attaches great importance to the international obligation. In accordance with the Guidelines for the Preparation of Initial National Communications by Parties Not Included in Annex I to the Convention, China has completed, by consulting officials and experts from relevant government departments, social organizations, scientific research institutions, universities and enterprises, and with 3 years of efforts by over 400 experts from more than 100 organizations, the Initial National Communication on Climate Change of the People’s Republic of China. The report was approved by the State Council after it was discussed and adopted by the National Coordination Committee on Climate Change.

This report covers national circumstances, national greenhouse gas inventory, impacts of climate change and adaptation, policies and measures related to climate change mitigation, research and systematic observation, education, training and public awareness, and needs for funds, technologies and capacity building, basically reflecting China’s national situation. In accordance with the relevant provisions of the Convention, the report provides a 1994 national greenhouse gas inventory in Chapter 2, and general descriptions in other chapters on China’s situation of years up to 2000, with some up to 2003. The contents and nationwide data in this report do not cover that of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan Province except for division of administrative areas, territory and other points as specified.

Global climate change is the common challenge of the human society. China is ready to join the international community in addressing climate change under the framework of sustainable development. Chinese government’s approval of the Kyoto Protocol has fully demonstrated China’s willingness and determination to actively participate in promoting international environmental cooperation for global sustainable development. China will honor its commitments as it has under the convention, and hope that the international community will give full consideration to the need of funds and technologies stated in the report so as to further strengthen the capacity and capability of China in addressing global climate change.