Through a national program that sequesters carbon and reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in rural areas — a rural climate program — China could achieve significant net GHG emission reductions while meeting policy priorities for economic growth, rural development, and environmental sustainability. The program would be an important investment in China’s medium- to longer-term future, and could be funded domestically at relatively low cost through a variety of mechanisms.
This paper examines the potential for a rural climate program in China. The paper first provides a detailed description of GHG mitigation options in agriculture and rural energy (Section 1) and carbon sequestration potential in agricultural soils, forests, and rangelands (Section 2). The final two sections (Sections 3 and 4) discuss the scope, financing, and barriers to implementation of a rural climate program in China.