Autumn 2009 Climate Alert
How Does Black Carbon Change the Climate Debate? [ PDF ]
In this Newsletter:
Stove Revolution: Cookstove Improvement Projects in China
Elisa Chih-Lin Yai, Climate Institute
China is responsible for 19% of global black carbon emissions, equivalent to 1.5 times the black carbon emissions of European and North American countries combined.
The major source of black carbon in China comes from the residential sector in the North and the industrial sector in the South (i). Residents in Northern China use biomass or coal as their major energy source for heating and cooking. Southern China on the other hand is rapidly industrializing, and coal is burned in power, iron, and steel plants. These uses combine to make coal the primary contributor to black carbon emissions in China.
Black carbon reduction projects in China have focused on improving traditional cookstoves, especially in rural areas where they are most prevalent.
National Improved Stove Program
Since the 1980s, China has progressively implemented numerous cookstove improvement projects to benefit public health and air quality. The Chinese National Improved Stove Program (NISP), initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture, ambitiously replaced and introduced 129 million stoves to rural areas between 1982 and 1992 (ii). More than 60% of traditional stoves in rural households were replaced by improved stoves, and 90% of improved stoves that were installed globally were installed in China (ii). In Shaanxi, the new cookstoves saved 2.7kg of coal per day, or 900kg per year (iii).
The coordination of the central government and the cooperation of the local government formed a strong chain of policy implementation from the top down. The direct cost of purchasing and installing the stoves was mostly borne by households and only subsidized marginally by the government. In addition, the governmental subsidization system was tailored according to different needs of provinces, allowing the system high flexibility and efficiency in expenditure (iv). Instead of fully subsidizing improved stoves, the government spent most funding on R&D, training, product demonstration and public outreach.
NISP’s educational campaign eased public anxiety about using new products. The investment in R&D and training laid the foundation for NISP’s successful implementation. However, reviewing NISP a decade later, there is a glaring lack in project sustainability. Some rural families shifted back to using traditional cookstoves because stoves installed by NISP gradually deteriorated and improved fuel was more costly than coal and wood.
A New Wave
After NISP, stove improvement projects were no longer implemented at a national level. City- and provincial-level projects, such as those sponsored by the Wuhan city government and the Guizhou provincial government became the norm.
Recently China’s private sector has taken a lead role in updating cookstoves. In 2007, the Camco Group and Pioneer Carbon initiated a stove replacement project in cooperation with the Government of Yanqing County. The project aimed to install over 1 million stoves within a 3 year period, eliminating 28 Mt of CO2 emissions in the first five years (v). The Daxu stove, a central feature of the project and the winner of the 2007 Ashden Award for Sustainable Energy, is projected to be over 40% more efficient, reducing emissions by about 8 tonnes of CO2 per year (vi). Camco and Pioneer have exclusive rights to the carbon credits produced; this carbon financing keeps the stoves’ retail cost affordable and ensures the project’s economic viability.
Furthermore, this year in sunny Ningxia Province, a local company called Ningxia Fenlian Co. Ltd. conducted a CDM project financing 120,000 solar cookstoves to poor farmers. The use of the solar cookstoves is expected to save 1.2 million tons of coal during the 10 year implementation period (vii).
Projects in which private companies take advantage of CDMs to promote improved cookstoves are relatively new, and it is still too early to assess project sustainability. However, the public-private-academia cooperation will likely be an ideal model for implementing future cookstove projects.
Learning from Past Lessons: Policy Recommendations
NISP succeeded largely due to its use of public education and training. However, public outreach and education are not integrated in current cookstove improvement projects. Enhancing the public’s understanding of black carbon’s impacts on health and the environment should be incorporated as part of a long-term strategy.
The price of fuel is a major determinant for whether households continue to use clean cookstoves. Some rural households shifted back to traditional cookstoves because of the low price of government-subsidized coal. Revealing the true cost of coal, including its health costs, may make alternative fuels more competitive.
The model of private-public-academia cooperation through CDMs may be the most efficient and effective way to implement cookstove improvement projects. Private companies implementing cookstove replacement through the CDM would gain carbon credits and thus have more incentive to fund future cookstove projects. Hu Jintao’s recent statements have demonstrated China’s positive attitude on clean technologies. Under the scope of CDM, private companies in China may increasingly undertake cookstove improvement projects and other black carbon reduction initiatives.
Footnotes
(i) Cao, Guoliang, Xiaoye Zhang, Yaqiang Wang, Huizheng Che, and Dong Chen. "Inventory of Black Carbon Emission from China." Advances in Climate Change Research 3 (2007): 78.
(ii) Smith, Kirk R., Shuhua Gu, Kun Huang, and Daxiong Qiu. "One Hundred Million Improved Cookstoves in China: How Was It Done?" World Development 21.6 (1993): 941-61.
(iii) Li, Quanmin. "Present Situation and Trends of Firewood Saving, Stove Improvement and Rural Marsh Gas in Fuping, Shann'xi Province." Proc. of NISP Dissemination Workshop 2005, Beijing.
(iv) Sinton, Jonathan E., Kirk R. Smith, John W. Peabody, Liu Yaping, Zhang Xiliang, Rufus Edwards, and Gan Quan. "An assessment of programs to promote improved household stoves in China." Energy for Sustainable Development 8.3 (2004): 33-52.
(v) Robinson, James. “Camco International and Pioneer Carbon sign innovative Chinese stove agreement.” Household Energy Network. 14 Nov 2007. http://hedon.info/1048/news.htm
(vi) "Case Study: DAXU, China. Stoves designed to burn crop waste." The Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy. 2007. Web. 06 Oct. 2009. http://www.ashdenawards.org/winners/daxu
(vii) "Carbon trade benefits poor farmers in NW China." China Daily. 16 June 2009. Web. 06 Oct. 2009. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-06/16/content_8289628.htm
Other Articles in this Newsletter:
Black Carbon: An Emerging Climate Change Culprit
The Achievable Path to Climate Protection
Opportunities to Reduce Black Carbon Emissions
Local Air Pollution and Human Health
The High Stakes for Small Islands
Community-Level Technology Transfer
Cookstove Technology Standards