Climate change is a serious challenge facing humankind. In 2022, many influential events occurred around carbon neutrality and addressing climate change. Research Institute of Carbon Neutrality of Shanghai Jiao Tong University eleborately selected the most influential “Top 10 Events” in carbon neutrality and climate change in 2022 to record the efforts of human society to deal with climate change.
1 Chinese government put the concept of the system in the whole process of “dual carbon” work
Chinese government stressed that achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality is essential for implementing the new development concept, building a new development pattern, and promoting high-quality development and is a critical strategic decision to coordinate domestic and international situations. To effectively implement the “dual carbon” approach, the Chinese government should improve its ability to strategic thinking, integrate the system concept into the entire process, and consider the relationships between development and emission reduction, the whole and the part, long-term and short-term goals, the government and the market. The government should effectively emphasize applying strategies and methods, utilize the market mechanism under the appropriate policy guidance, and rationalize global energy resources while thoroughly ensuring energy security and supporting low-carbon clean energy technology innovation. Additionally, the government should accelerate the reform of the energy system and mechanism, improve energy efficiency, and provide policy support for regions with rich high-carbon industries and underdeveloped economies. These strategies are crucial to achieving the overall goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality as part of the country’s overall plan.
2 The conflict between Russia and Ukraine intensified the European energy crisis, accelerating the pace of green energy transformation conducted by the EU
Russia launched a special military operation against Ukraine on February 24, which marked the official start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. As the second largest oil and gas producer in the world, Russia is an important supplier of fossil energy to the EU. In response to the conflict, European and American countries quickly imposed several rounds of sanctions on Russia, severely reducing Russian oil and gas exports and disrupting the balance of supply and demand in the international energy market. This led to the intensification of the European energy crisis, as the resulting gap in the energy supply caused energy prices to rise. The higher energy prices, combined with the restart of cost-effective coal-fired power plants and a decrease in hydropower output due to high temperatures and drought, also resulted in a spike in carbon prices, with the highest price reaching 99 Euros per ton. As a result, prices for gas, oil, electricity, and carbon in Europe soared.
The European energy crisis in 2022 presented challenges to the carbon neutrality process in Europe. However, at the same time, the Russia-Ukraine conflict forced Europe to be more determined to reduce its reliance on a single energy source and accelerate the energy transformation. In response, several plans were implemented to expedite the green energy transition in the year: the EU issued the “REPowerEU” energy plan in May, 8 European countries signed The Summit Declaration and The Declaration of Energy Ministers in August in Marienborg, Copenhagen to vigorously develop offshore wind power in the Baltic sea region, and the European Parliament passed the Renewable Energy Directve in September.
3 The Working Group II and Working Group III reports of the sixth assessment of the IPCC were released, calling for increased efforts to mitigate the threat of climate change
On February 28 and April 4, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the report, Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability from Working Group II, and Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change from Working Group III. The reports revealed that anthropogenic climate change is causing severe damage to the environment. With global warming of 1.5 °C, the world will face a range of climate hazards over the next two decades. It is necessary to accelerate the implementation of measures to adapt to climate change while rapidly and significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This requires deep decarbonization in all sectors, especially in the energy sector, which needs to undergo a major transformation by significantly reducing the use of fossil fuels, promoting electrification, improving energy efficiency, and using alternative fuels.
The IPCC involves thousands of experts from all over the world, and its assessment report serves as the primary scientific basis for the international community to establish a system for responding to climate change and taking action to address the issue.
4 China released its National Strategy for Climate Change Adaptation 2035, which outlines China’s plans for adapting to climate change
On June 7, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, the National Development and Reform Commission of China, the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, and 14 other departments jointly issued the National Strategy for Climate Change Adaptation 2035, making overall planning and deployment for adaptation to climate change through 2035. It states that by 2035, China will have an advanced climate change monitoring and early warning system and a mature climate risk management and prevention system. The significant climate-related disaster risks will be effectively prevented and controlled, and an improved technology and standard system for adapting to climate change will be established. Additionally, the ability of the whole society to adapt to climate change will be significantly improved, and the adaptive climate society will be completed.
Adaptation and mitigation are two major countermeasures to dealing with climate change. Mitigation emphasizes greenhouse gas emission reduction and sink increase, while adaptation involves preventing and reducing adverse impacts and risks of climate change. The two complement each other and are indispensable. The National Strategy for Climate Change Adaptation 2035 points out the direction for China’s future efforts to adapt to climate change.
5 The EU and the US jointly launched the Global Methane Pledge Energy Pathway, and methane emission reduction moved from consensus to action
On June 17, the Global Methane Pledge Energy Pathway was launched by the EU, the US, and 11 other countries (Argentina, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, and Oman) to catalyze methane emissions reductions in the oil and gas sector, advancing both climate progress and energy security. The Global Methane Pledge was initiated at the COP26 Conference in 2021. This initiative aims to reduce anthropogenic methane emissions by 30% by 2030 from 2020 levels . At present, about 120 countries or regions have endorsed the Pledge, representing half of global methane emissions and nearly three-quarters of the global economy. China also participated in the methane control initiative at the COP26 Conference in 2021 and developed a national strategic plan in 2022 to strictly control methane emissions from the energy, agriculture, and waste sectors.
Methane is the second most significant greenhouse gas caused by human activities after carbon dioxide. The Global Methane Pledge Energy Pathway is crucial in implementing the Global Methane Pledge. It will accelerate the deployment of the most effective and cost-effective methane emission reduction solutions available today, marking that the international consensus on reducing methane emissions has turned into tangible action.
6 The US passed the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, ushering in new changes in the new energy industry
On August 16, the US government passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which became legislation in September. The bill aims to tamp down inflation in the US by “raising taxes, reducing costs, and increasing subsidies.” It will guide the nation to invest in energy security and climate change in the next decade, develop onshore green industrial production and stimulate green consumption, protect local manufacturing, as well as support new clean vehicles and other emerging industries. 369 billion dollars will be invested in climate change and clean energy, which makes it the most significant climate investment act the US has ever witnessed. The bill is expected to help the nation reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% in 2030 compared with 2005, thus accelerating the green transition of global energy.
The core of the Inflation Reduction Act is subsidies, which propose threshold requirements for the localization ratio of the industrial chain (production in the US or trade agreement countries) in various fields. The Inflation Reduction Act is considered a protectionist economic policy, leading to unfair competition in the new energy industry, market closure, and a split of the global supply chain.
7 China’s “1+N” policy system for carbon peaking and carbon neutrality was established, making a comprehensive strategic deployment for the orderly promotion of China’s “dual carbon” work
On September 22, on the occasion of the second anniversary of the vigorous announcement of carbon peak and carbon neutrality of the Chinese government, the National Development and Reform Commission of China held a special press conference on the construction of ecological civilization. The conference pointed out that in the past two years, China’s carbon peaking and carbon neutrality work has been steadily promoted with the related work started well, and the “1+N” policy system of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality has been established. In 2022, the “1+N” policy system will propose implementing carbon peaking in energy, industry, transportation, urban and rural construction, and other sub-sectors and sub-sectors. Support plans will include science and technology support, energy security, carbon sink capacity, financial price policy, and the standard measurement system. Meanwhile, with the intensive introduction of provincial-level carbon peaking action plans and other policies, a “dual carbon” policy system with clear goals, good division of labor, effective measures, and orderly connection has been built.
Achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality is a multi-dimensional systematic project involving all aspects of the economy and society. China’s “1+N” policy system for carbon peaking and carbon neutrality has been improved from top-level designs to action plans in various fields, provinces and cities, making a comprehensive strategic deployment for the orderly promotion of its “dual carbon” work.
8 The 27th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) made a historic breakthrough, establishing the climate “loss and damage” fund for the first time
The 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) was held in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, on November 6. With the theme of “implementation,” the conference adopted dozens of resolutions on the implementation and governance of the Convention, the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement. These resolutions were the results of arduous negotiations among the Parties and aimed to address the issues of mitigation, adaptation, funding, loss, and damage in a balanced manner.
One of the key outcomes of the conference was the adoption of the “Sharm el-Sheikh Implementation Plan,” a political outcome document that emphasized the need for all Parties to translate the proposed goals into action effectively, and to cooperate in addressing the urgent challenges posed by climate change. For the first time, the document also called for establishing the “loss and damage” fund to help vulnerable countries cope with the effects caused by climate disasters. This marked a historic breakthrough in global climate governance, and has received positive comments from international public opinion. During the conference, China formally submitted its Progress on the Implementation of China’s Nationally Determined Contributions (2022) to the Convention Secretariat, demonstrating China’s commitment to promoting green and low-carbon development and actively addressing global climate change.
9 The EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) were implemented, and the world’s first carbon tariff was scheduled to be levied in 2026
On December 17, the European Council and the European Parliament reached an agreement on the reform plan for the EU’s carbon emission trading system (ETS). The details of implementing the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM, also known as “carbon tariff”) were also determined. It is stipulated that the emissions of the sectors covered by EU ETS must be reduced by 62% by 2030, with the phasing out of free quotas beginning in 2026 and ending in 2034. To match this reduction, the CBAM will have a transition period from October 1, 2023, to December 31, 2025, during which the affected enterprises are only required to fulfill their reporting obligations. The formal implementation of the CBAM will begin in 2026, covering industries such as steel, cement, fertilizer, aluminum, electricity, and hydrogen, as well as indirect emissions (i.e., carbon emissions from the use of purchased electricity in the production process), and a small number of downstream products.
The implementation of EU ETS and CABM programs has made it clear to European industry that “investment in green technology is rewarding.” At the same time, carbon tariffs on specific imported products have protected climate action within the EU. However, they have also effectively increased the access threshold for other exporting countries and regions, which will significantly impact international trade. There is a pressing need for the international community to establish an effective dialogue mechanism on carbon emission market rules and to achieve global emission reduction targets through international cooperation.
10 Extreme high temperatures swept the world, and many places suffered the worst recorded drought
In 2022, extreme high-temperature weather swept the world, and many places experienced unprecedented heat waves, pushing the limits of human endurance. At the beginning of the year, some parts of Argentina reached temperatures above 45 °C, making it the hottest place in the world. In April, Pakistan, and India experienced a high temperature of nearly 50 °C, the highest in over 100 years. China issued its first national red warning for high temperatures from June to August. Many European countries saw temperatures approaching historical extremes, and many North American regions set a new historical record high. The prolonged extreme heat also led to several disasters, such as drought and forest fires. Europe even suffered the worst drought in 500 years, with many significant rivers drying up and resulting in difficulties in water transportation, severe water conservancy, power generation shortages, severe agricultural drought, etc., causing incalculable losses to humankind.
Many factors contribute to extreme weather events. While it cannot be said that climate change is the cause of all disasters, global warming will undoubtedly make extreme weather occur more frequently, more intensely, longer lasting, and more severe in their consequences. International communities must work together to deal with global climate change.
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