SOUTHWEST CHINA ATTENTION TO GREENHOUSE GASES GROWS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CHENGDU 000088 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/CM E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON ENRG CH SUBJECT: SOUTHWEST CHINA ATTENTION TO GREENHOUSE GASES GROWS CHENGDU 00000088 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (U) This cable contains sensitive but unclassified information - not for distribution on the Internet. ¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: Environmental Protection Bureaus in the Southwest Chinese cities of Chengdu and Chongqing are studying local greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Chengdu environmental officials will start measuring two GHGs, carbon dioxide and methane, but have not said how they will use this data. Chongqing does not currently monitor GHGs, but focuses on foreign technology transfer that could help reduce GHG emissions from coal-fired power plants. City officials also seem interested in learning more about emissions trading systems. END SUMMARY. Chengdu Pilot Project to Measure Green House Gases? -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Chengdu environmental officials plan this year to install greenhouse gas monitoring equipment for the first time at one of the city's air quality monitoring stations. Chengdu has 38 automated air quality monitoring stations throughout the greater metropolitan area that measure nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide (SO2),and large particulate matter. Officials at the Chengdu Environmental Supervision Center (CESC) told Congenoff that they planned to install equipment to monitor carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane, two potent GHGs. The only currently planned GHG monitoring site will be in downtown Chengdu, on top of a low-rise building at the Sichuan Provincial Number Three People's Hospital. ¶4. (SBU) Chengdu environmental officials will not say how they will use the data collected from the station or if GHG monitoring will be expanded to other stations around the city. The Sichuan Environmental Protection Bureau has projects to reduce agricultural GHG emissions and additional data could support this effort. CESC officials declined recent requests for meetings with the consulate. Chengdu's GHG monitoring effort may be related to plans being discussed by national-level environmental officials for regional emissions caps during the 12th Five Year Program (2011-2015). An early May 2009 China Environmental News story suggests that the GHG monitoring equipment has yet to be installed in Chengdu. Chongqing Researching GHG Emissions and Seeking Advanced 
Technology -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Senior engineer Ran Tao of the Chongqing Center of Environmental Monitoring and the Chongqing Academy of Environmental Science told Congenoff in early May that she was researching ways the municipality could reduce GHG emissions. She commented that Chongqing Mayor Wang Hongju is very interested in reducing GHG emissions. Rao said that power generation accounts for 77 percent of Chongqing's total GHG emissions but said that this estimate is not based on actual emissions monitoring. She estimated emissions level using a methodology she said is consistent with that of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Ran said that she had not heard of any current GHG monitoring projects like Chengdu's, and Chongqing did not plan to monitor GHGs. ¶6. (SBU) Ran concluded that Chongqing needs to increase technology transfer from foreign countries in order to reduce power plant emissions. She asserted that developed countries have not done enough to help Chongqing reduce GHGs from coal-fired power plants. Chongqing's official statistics show that it relies on coal for about two-thirds of its total energy consumption. Ran's research suggests to her that advanced coal-power technology is the best option for Chongqing CHENGDU 00000088 002.2 OF 002 municipality, and other sources like wind power are not viable options. While she did not mention a specific coal technology, Rao seemed to be suggesting that developed countries should be doing more to help China develop carbon capture and sequestration technology. At the same time, she deemphasized the idea of using existing technology to increase the thermal efficiency of power plants. Note: Congenoff found it surprising that, given Rao's focus on power plant GHG emissions, she did not know the average thermal efficiency of coal-fired power plants in Chongqing. Ongoing Emissions Trading Research -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Rao is very interested in emissions trading systems like the Clean Development Mechanism established under the Kyoto Protocol and the SO2 trading program in the United States. She has researched the topic and is familiar with the U.S. Clean Air Act. When Congenoff asked about whether Chongqing is seeking to implement some form of emissions trading to control CO2 or SO2 emissions, Rao side-stepped the question. She replied only that the National Development and Reform Commission had primary responsibility for addressing global warming. ¶8. (SBU) Comment: During Congenoff's discussion with Rao, several of her questions suggested that she may also be researching methods of adapting an emissions trading system to control water pollution in Chongqing's rivers. Rao did not say if she was looking at intra-municipality trading systems or larger regional or national systems. BOUGHNER