China to tackle climate change with 'nature-based solutions'

[webfact]

China to tackle climate change with 'nature-based solutions'

 

A power station of the State Development & Investment Corporation (SDIC) is reflected in a lake in Tangshan, Hebei province, China, August 22, 2018. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/Files

 

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China said it will try to persuade other countries to support "nature-based solutions" to tackle the root causes of climate change, the country said in a position paper published ahead of a United Nations summit in New York.

 

As the world's biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions, China is set to garner attention at the U.N. Climate Action Summit due to start on Sept. 23, with environmental groups hoping it will deliver more ambitious pledges to tackle global temperature rises.

 

However, in a notice published on Tuesday, the country's Ministry of Ecology and Environment stopped short of making any fresh pledges to curb carbon dioxide emissions, promising to support the "multinational climate process" and fulfill its pledges to the Paris Agreement in full.

 

China had previously concentrated on reducing emissions from its heavy industrial sectors, while maintaining high levels of economic growth, but the approach has been subject to diminishing returns.

 

It now plans to "proactively promote" nature-based solutions such as reforestation and the expansion of grasslands and wetlands. Total forest reserves in the country rose by 4.56 billion cubic metres between 2005 and 2018, and forests now account for just under 23% of total land.

 

Beijing will also call on other countries at the U.N. meeting to "fully consider the potential of the natural system to alleviate climate change and promote adaptation, while formulating climate change-related policies".

 

Beijing also aims to expand carbon sinks capable of absorbing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, work to cap fertiliser use, raise waste utilisation rates at livestock farms and speed-up the usage of biomass energy, the report said.

 

The southwestern Chinese city of Kunming is set to host a major U.N. meeting next year to reach a new global post-2020 agreement to protect biodiversity, and the environment ministry wants to include "nature-based solutions" in any new deal.

 

China has been keen to connect the protection of natural ecosystems with the wider issues of climate change, said Li Shuo, a senior climate adviser with environmental group Greenpeace.

 

Cristiana Pasca-Palmer, executive secretary of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, told Reuters that unlocking financial support would be a major component of the new agreement, adding that "signals are good" for a strong deal to be finalised, with China set to play a leading role.

 

(Reporting by David Stanway, Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-09-18

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[wombat]

and nature wins every time....
 

The Earth's axis is tilted 23.5 degrees from the plane of its orbit around the sun. But this tilt changes during a cycle , The tilt of the axis varies between 22.1 and 24.5 degrees. Because this tilt changes, the seasons as we know them become exaggerated

 

[Chomper Higgot]

20 minutes ago, wombat said:

and nature wins every time....
 

The Earth's axis is tilted 23.5 degrees from the plane of its orbit around the sun. But this tilt changes during a cycle , The tilt of the axis varies between 22.1 and 24.5 degrees. Because this tilt changes, the seasons as we know them become exaggerated

 

It would be helpful, and compliant with forum rules, if you would provide a link.

 

Here’s how it’s done, this from NASA:

 

“Today, the Earth's axis is tilted 23.5 degrees from the plane of its orbit around the sun. But this tilt changes. During a cycle that averages about 40,000 years, the tilt of the axis varies between 22.1 and 24.5 degrees. Because this tilt changes, the seasons as we know them can become exaggerated.”

 

Take note the obliquity cycle has a period of 40,000 years and hence the climate changes associated with the obliquity cycle occur over tens of thousands of years, not within the mere decades as observed in anthropomorphic climate change.

 

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/Milankovitch/milankovitch_2.php

[DrTuner]

Exactly who is monitoring the emissions from China? If it's themselves, who in their right mind would believe any of the data.

[bristolboy]

4 hours ago, wombat said:

and nature wins every time....
 

The Earth's axis is tilted 23.5 degrees from the plane of its orbit around the sun. But this tilt changes during a cycle , The tilt of the axis varies between 22.1 and 24.5 degrees. Because this tilt changes, the seasons as we know them become exaggerated

 

And this cycle takes about 40,000 years to complete. Nice try.

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/Milankovitch/milankovitch_2.php

 

edit: I jumped to a comment before I read #2.

[lannarebirth]

Fortunately, coal comes from nature, so it's all good.

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

[BritManToo]

China is planting forests faster than any other country in the world.

https://www.carbonbrief.org/one-third-worlds-new-vegetation-in-china-and-india-satellite-data-shows

[thaibeachlovers]

10 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

China is planting forests faster than any other country in the world.

https://www.carbonbrief.org/one-third-worlds-new-vegetation-in-china-and-india-satellite-data-shows

Trees are an illusion when it comes to carbon sequestration, IMO. If they catch fire they release it all, and if they die of something and rot they release it all, and when they are cut down and turned into lumber they lose some.

Far more viable, IMO, is something like growing seaweed in the ocean. I saw it in the film 2040, and it seems like a very good way to remove carbon from the atmosphere.

[Tug]

I call bs but I bet they are leading the charge on alternative energy

[Curt1591]

China has over 2,300 coal fired generating plants. They have over 1,000 more planned. Good luck with the organic counter measures!

The democrats, in the US, want to do our part by shutting down its 15 coal fired plants! California has already done its part by banning plastic straws. They accounted for about .0004% of the world's plastic waste.