sector together with non-metal mineral products sector, still
account for a significant proportion of emission reductions.
In the early years of the 12th FYP, the Chinese government released
a series of policies for further energy conservation and emission
reduction. Following the “1000 energy intensive enterprises project”,
10,000 enterprises were included into the energy monitoring and
auditing system. An updated list for phasing out outdated production
capacity in the energy intensive sectors was also approved despite of
the great pressure for economic recovery (MOIIT, 2012). Continuity
and consistency with the energy conservation plan can be expected
for the next decade. Industrial structure upgrading and technological
innovations are regarded as the two underpinnings of China's energy
conservation movement to achieve systematic optimisation of the
energy system in the long run.
4.2. Future prospects for energy efficiency improvements in the
transport sector
Future policies should continue to focus on technologies that
improve fuel economies and reduce vehicle emissions. The government can play an important role in making good technologies
used widely. Currently, improving fuel economy is considered the
most effective way to conserve energy and reduce GHG emissions.
Therefore, China should make a timetable to catch up with Japan
and Europe on fuel economy standards. The “Development Plan of
Energy-Efficient and New-Energy Vehicles (2012–2020)” that the
State Council approved in 2020 proposed having the fuel economy
level of new light-duty passenger vehicles reach 6.9 L/100 km by
2015 and 5.0 L/100 km by 2020. As China is currently in a period of
rapid vehicle growth, and more and more new vehicles are being
added to the fleet each year, future targets for a longer term should
be planned as early as possible in order to keep the entire fleet
energy efficient.
EVs and alternative fuels are becoming important in the road
transport sector. To achieve more results from these alternative
options, technical measures need to be taken. The cleanness of
the power generation sector is the key for EVs to have lower life
cycle energy use and emissions. The type of process fuels used in
bioethanol production determines the energy use and GHGs
emissions of bioethanol. As such, the policies are no longer
confined to the road transport sector any more. Advanced
technologies, such as CCS technology and cellulosic ethanol
technology, are needed to reduce GHG emissions in alternative
fuels. The share of coal-fired power plants in the generation mix
needs to be reduced in order to achieve better GHG reduction
benefits for EVs.
At this point in time in China, developing urban bus rapid
transit systems, subway/light rail transit and national railway
systems cannot be regarded as policy measures for reducing
energy use and GHG emissions in the road transport sector.
However, the huge potential benefit should be watched carefully.
Huo et al. (2012) concluded that 60 per cent of energy use and
emissions from light-duty vehicles could be saved by 2050 if China
adopted a Japanese-type transport system rather than a European
one. The difference between the two is that the Japanese model
has a denser railway system with lower vehicle ownership and
use. In the future, China should emphasise highly efficient and
convenient public transport systems to encourage people to opt
for public transport instead of cars, and thereby reduce light-duty
vehicle (LDV) growth and usage.