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China’s top economic planners have put a brake on attempts by environmental officials to curb carbon emissions as driving growth takes priority over meeting climate goals for now, according to people familiar with the matter.
Officials with China’s main economic planning agency, the National Development and Reform Commission, have outlined the initial scope of a national carbon trading system, which is set to become fully operational later this month after pilot projects in eight Chinese cities.
People said the Bureau of Economic Planning also gained the upper hand in negotiations on crafting a detailed roadmap to fulfill leader Xi Jinping’s pledges to achieve a peak in carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and net emissions by 2060.
The environment ministry has come into prominence over the past decade and in recent months has appeared to have new powers to wield more influence, but recent developments show that the economic agency, which sets China’s energy and emissions targets, still wields greater influence.
The dynamic of competing environmental and economic priorities is not unique to China. US lawmakers have blocked attempts to pass a national market cap on carbon emissions over concerns about the impact on business and the economy, even though California and states in the Northeast have adopted their own regulations.
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