Institute of Development Studies

Sharing knowledge for low carbon development in China

9 February 2010 - Frauke Urban

With a fifth of the entire world population and an expanding economy, China's greenhouse gases emissions are also increasing rapidly. China does have national plans for developing a low carbon economy, promoting renewable energy and tackling climate change - as well as a long experience of using renewable energy at the community level. But to be more effective these efforts need international support and greater access to knowledge on the subject. A new online network called the China Low Carbon Platform aims to enhance knowledge-sharing and cooperation on low carbon development in China.

The China Low Carbon Platform will support an international network for developing low carbon energy and low carbon development in China. The service will disseminate and share information in Chinese and English on energy systems and strategies aimed at reducing poverty and tackling climate change in China. The platform will specifically focus on Chinese communities, providing the following services:

• Free access to resources on renewable energy, other low carbon energy and low carbon development
• Free upload of own resources from platform users
• Blogs, chat rooms and a discussion forum to share experience and resources
• Regular news on low carbon energy and low carbon development

The platform is open to practitioners, researchers, policy-makers, businesses and everyone who is interested in energy and low carbon development in China. Members are encouraged to contribute to the platform by posting blog items, participating in discussions and uploading their own publications in English and/or Chinese.

The platform has been developed by the Climate Change and Development Centre at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) in partnership with Tsinghua University, China the Koru Foundation and Reegle.

Frauke Urban is a Research Fellow in the Climate Change and Development Centre at IDS

Related Projects

• China Low Carbon Platform - A new knowledge-sharing web platform supporting an international network for low carbon energy and low carbon development in China. (2010 - 2010)