China Environmental Law

Although it was initially reported that China “welcomed” the passage by the US House of Representatives of the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES), it has quickly pulled up the “Welcome” mat.  A Xinhua article, which could have been written by Pan Jiahua, ridicules and lambasts the House bill.  The US “fell short of taking on its due responsibility as a developed country, much less its self-claimed “leading role” in tackling climate change.”

The initiative by Obama to readjust the U.S. policy on saving energy and cutting greenhouse gas emissions has served to improve U.S. image on the issue. But on the key issue of emission reduction commitment, Washington failed to give the international community a satisfactory answer.

The new U.S. bill, though containing some clauses on reducing fossil fuel use, makes no mention of the country’s responsibility to the world on the issue.

Compared with the commitments of the EU, which use 1990 as a baseline, the US reductions, using 2005 as a baseline, amounted only to “a play of numbers.”

Continuing to show a deep aversion to any talk of carbon tariffs, the article reserves its harshest criticism for those who urge the imposition of such tariffs.

Some U.S. legislators went so far as to propose levying CO2 emission taxes on foreign products shipped into the United States. Experts noted that the consumers of the products rather than their manufacturers should pay CO2 tax. Such an attempt by U.S. legislators has nothing to do with “leadership role,” but only smacks of dodging U.S. responsibility in emissions reduction.

Consumers end up paying most taxes so this particular criticism seems misplaced, and I don’t suspect China would favor a consumption tax on Chinese-made goods as an alternative.  At any rate, it continues to demonstrate that the threat of tariffs has the effect of grabbing China’s attention.

China’s position on the less than aggressive 2020 reduction targets in ACES is a fair one.  These criticisms would have a little more impact, however, if China weren’t sniping from the weeds, but assuming a leadership position of its own on climate change.  So far China has not even been willing to propose any numbers to play with.