cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/28973386
An Australian economist has argued China has “hoodwinked” the world on net zero in what he acknowledges could be seen as a “controversial” take.
Leith Van Onselen, chief economist at the MB Fund and MB Super and co-founder of MacroBusiness, told 4BC host Mike Jeffreys that while Australia and other countries are making sacrifices for the good of the planet, the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter is not, and therefore “we’re basically shooting ourselves in the foot”.
“I’d argue China is the largest beneficiary of the West’s net zero policies,” Mr Van Onselen said on the radio show.
“It’s not abiding by the same rules and what we’re effectively doing is, while we’re reducing our carbon footprints through these sorts of policies and giving us expensive energy and shutting down manufacturing and becoming less diversified economies, China is simply expanding its carbon output and expanding its manufacturing sector at our expense.
“The world’s not getting cleaner. We’re just shifting the pollution away from us, to China, and it’s actually less regulated in China.”
...
He referred to a Reuters report from August that found China had boosted domestic coal production and imports to record highs.
It said production from China’s mines hit a seasonal record of 390 million tonnes in July 2024, up from 378 million in the same month a year earlier, and imports surged to a seasonal record of 296 million tonnes in the first seven months from 261 million tonnes in 2023.
Mr Van Onselen concluded: “I think we can all agree we’d like to have a cleaner planet but the whole idea of net zero is completely impossible or ridiculous if China is not involved.
“If we’re going to make sacrifices, China has to make sacrifices.”
https://apnews.com/article/wind-solar-energy-china-climate-carbon-emissions-b337503abfacfd9b7829fd7bbcd507e9
I have to give credit where credit is due, they are doing incredible with renewables, they are also doing incredible with EV's, no one is close except for Norway
It hurts me to say this because I'm very anti-ccp but I can't hate the fact they're doing extremely well in this regard
Australia has run into a problem where we have pretty much won the solar race and maxed out on solar, we are now racing to build out grid firming (batteries/hydro/wind) to store that excess energy we make to stop the fact that energy prices go negative in the middle of the day which is resulting in solar export prices going to 0c:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/victoria-solar-tariff-2526-mb3093/
“Absolutely world leading:” Why Australia is leading the charge away from baseload power
https://reneweconomy.com.au/absolutely-world-leading-why-australia-is-leading-the-charge-away-from-baseload-power/
But this all aside, I'm mainly concerned about India, even if Australia went to 0 India has added 10 Australia's worth of co2 emissions in the last 20 years and it continues to climb
I don't remember when and where, but some time ago I read a blog entry where the writer used the term, "The West bad, China bad okay". Don't get me wrong, it's not about your comment alone, it's all the others in this and other threads. If China is criticized, there come all sorts of whataboutery and distractions -some of them true, some aren't- but it indeed follows this "The West bad, China bad okay" stance. The fact that China is failing on climate change is simply ignored, while every other country is criticized.
But China ain't failing, per capita, they're actually doing very well and single-handedly powering the price reductions in solar, EVs and batteries with other countries being obstinate (see USA)
There is ample evidence that the Chinese government relies on slave-like working conditions which makes the price reductions in solar questionable, and China appears to be failing nevertheless.
I mean, sure, for the polysilicon and stuff like that. But again, that's how all of the products made by, for instance, Foxconn are done. Do we just stop buying iPhones or PS5's or even clothing from places with terrible working conditions?