Good Practice and Success Stories on Energy Efficiency in China

From 2000 to 2015, the energy intensity of the Chinese economy declined by thirty per cent, making it one of the countries with the fastest energy efficiency improvements. This Report on Good Practice and Success Stories on Energy Efficiency in China assesses the key policies and measures that have been successfully implemented across different sectors. The study concludes that especially three distinct approaches have been effective in stimulating energy efficiency actions in China. These are legislation on energy efficiency standards and products, the regulatory approach that includes mandatory energy efficiency improvement targets set by central government to local governments and mandatory early retirement of inefficient power plants and industrial facilities, as well as providing economic incentives in the form of subsidies, taxes and fees. Further replication and scaling up of these successes will help China realize an early peak in greenhouse gas emissions and a transition to a clean energy future. Moreover, these experiences in China can in many cases be adapted to other developing countries.