China News Agency, Beijing, August 3 (Reporter Pang Wuji) In the past, China was the largest seller of carbon emission reduction targets under the CDM, the Clean Development Mechanism.

Now that China, which has built and launched the world's largest carbon market, can it become an international "carbon seller" again?

China News Agency "China Focus Face to Face" interviewed Zhang Xiliang, director of the Institute of Energy, Environment and Economics of Tsinghua University and head of the technical expert group for the overall design of the national carbon emissions trading system.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Jiang Qiming

  Zhang Xiliang, director of the Institute of Energy, Environment and Economics of Tsinghua University, and head of the National Carbon Emissions Trading System Design Technical Expert Group, recently pointed out in an exclusive interview with China News Service that “selling quotas” in the past has affected China’s renewable energy industry. In particular, the development of wind power and photovoltaics has played a significant role in promoting.

  But at this stage, China's cooperation with the EU and the United States in the carbon market no longer emphasizes the sale of quotas by Chinese companies.

Zhang Xiliang said that because China itself faces strong international performance obligations, including China’s "3060" emission reduction commitments, it is actually very challenging.

Therefore, at this stage, it is not China's demand to get income by selling quotas.

  However, Zhang Xiliang believes that in the country, the carbon market will still become a fast channel for "green water and green mountains to be transformed into golden mountains and silver mountains".

Trees, grasslands, etc. have carbon absorption capacity and can be developed into forest carbon sink projects, and then put them in the national carbon market to offset (carbon emissions), which is directly realized.

  “In the future, this may become a fast channel for the conversion of green waters and green mountains into golden mountains and silver mountains,” said Zhang Xiliang. From a national perspective, when designing the carbon market offset mechanism, forest carbon sink projects will also be encouraged as a priority. Companies purchase forest carbon sinks. Projects instead of quotas can also achieve carbon reduction.

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