Type
Position Papers
Author
Hongchang Zhou and Daniel Sperling
Organization
Pew Center on Global Climate Change (USA)
Published in
2001
Submitted by
Peter Midgley
Related theme(s)
Urban Mobility
Region
Asia (AS)
Country
China

Greenhouse Gas Scenarios for Shanghai, China

The transportation sector is a leading source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide, and one of the most difficult to control. In developing countries, where vehicle ownership rates are considerably below the OECD average, transport sector emissions are poised to soar as income levels rise. This is especially true for China, whose imminent accession to the World Trade Organization will contribute to economic growth and could make consumer credit widely available for the first time. These factors are likely to accelerate automobile purchases, and GHG emissions.

Shanghai is one of China’s most dynamic cities. Extremely densely populated, with very low personal vehicle ownership rates for its income level, Shanghai is also home to a nascent Chinese automotive industry. Transportation plans and policies there are designed to achieve broader urban objectives of population decentralization, with an eye to controlling increases in traffic congestion and improving environmental quality. Because Shanghai’s transportation system and planning process are so sophisticated, Shanghai may be a “best case” for controlling transportation sector GHG emissions in the absence of climate change mitigation goals.

This report creates two scenarios of GHG emissions from Shanghai’s transportation sector in 2020.