China’s Failure to Hit Energy Targets Could Prompt Policy Reset at National People’s Congress
- New formula has made it easier to reach intensity objective
- Committing to goals could accelerate Xi’s climate pledges
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China is under-performing on one of its main climate goals — cutting the amount of energy needed for economic growth.
Getting back on track is likely to be a focus at the National People’s Congress that starts in Beijing this week. But to do so will require an ambitious target to reduce energy intensity for this year. While a change to how the target is calculated will make it easier to reach, effectively calibrating economic and environmental objectives remains one of the biggest challenges facing policymakers.