At the 9th Plenary Session of the 13th CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee held at the end of 2020, Lou Qinjian, secretary of the committee, called for efforts to make the province the first in China to peak carbon dioxide emissions.

China will support areas with favorable conditions to peak the emissions ahead of 2030, according to the annual Central Economic Work Conference in Beijing in last December.

Jiangsu, a trade and manufacturing powerhouse, has taken the lead in pursuing a high-quality sustainable development.  During a visit to the province’s Department of Ecology and Environment in last July, Lou proposed "three changes" in the department’s administration work – to become systematic, institutionalized, and give priority to goal-orientated and incentive initiatives.

Developed countries' carbon dioxide emissions peaked when per capita GDP was between $20,000 and $25,000 dollars while the GDP growth was around 3%-4%, in the low to medium range.

In comparison, Jiangsu’s per capita GDP, already around 126,600 yuan in 2019, will rise to the international threshold between the 14th Five Year Plan (2021-2025) and the 15th Five Year Plan, while keeping its GDP growth in the  medium range. By then, the province’s annual per capita carbon dioxide emissions' peak will also be lower than most of  developed countries.

Jiangsu’s carbon dioxide emissions are projected to reach the peak of 765 million tons in 2025 under the condition of rigorous measures or 780 million tons in 2027 under the condition of general measures. This also means the province will achieve the goal well ahead of the national schedule.

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