Comparative study on carbon dioxide peaking in some countries and regions and its enlightenment to China

Since the 21st century, China's carbon dioxide emissions have continued to rise. The country has determined the goal of carbon dioxide peaking before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060. There are many challenges in how to achieve it on schedule. By 2020, about 50 countries in the world had reached the target of carbon dioxide peaking, of which the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions accounted for about 36% of global emissions. The progress of carbon dioxide peaking in developed countries and regions was compared and analyzed, from the perspectives of economic level, industrial structure, industrialization and urbanization level, energy consumption, policy support and so on. The results showed that: at the peak of carbon dioxide emissions, the per capita GDP of major countries and regions was more than 10 000 US dollars, and that of the United States and Japan was more than 30 000 US dollars. In most countries and regions, the proportion of the secondary industry decreased steadily, and the proportion of the tertiary industry increased gradually during the period of carbon dioxide peaking. When the major countries and regions achieved the goals of carbon dioxide peaking, the urbanization rate was more than 53%, and more than half of the countries and regions reached more than 75%. When the major countries and regions achieved the goals of carbon dioxide peaking, the consumption intensity of energy was mostly between 1.0 to 4.7 tons of standard coal per 10 000 US dollars. From the perspective of the released medium and long-term carbon dioxide emission development strategy and carbon neutralization goal, the experience of developed countries and regions achieving deep decarbonization and carbon neutralization was expounded in depth. It was pointed out that the vast majority of countries and regions had put the control of the total amount of energy consumption and the transformation of low-carbon energy as their strategic focus, taken the development of the circular economy and the improvement of the energy efficiency as specific measures, and taken the S&T innovation as an important field and continuous motivation. According to the consumption of energy in China, the period from carbon dioxide peaking to carbon neutrality was only 30 years, which meant that after reaching the goal of carbon dioxide peaking, the task of carbon neutrality would be very heavy. This required that China's carbon dioxide peaking should not be simply climbing the peak, but a rational low peak. China needed to make greater efforts to promote the adjustment of economic and industrial structure, build a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient energy system, strengthen the R&D and innovation of clean and low-carbon technologies, and orderly promote the construction of carbon emission trading market.