Fall 2017

NewsletterCHINA PROJECT

INSIDE THIS ISSUE CONNECT WITH US

2 Research Highlights 3 Fall Semester Events The China Project has joined the following platforms: A glimpse into the research China Project hosted a series of endeavors of our research seminars and events, including a @HarvardChinaProject community. film screening of the environ- mental documentary, Plastic China 3 CCICED Annual Meeting @Harvard_CN A meeting recap of the China 4 Summer 2017 Reunion Council for International Co- Alumni from the Harvard undergrad operation on Environment and 2017 summer program in www.chinaproject.harvard.edu Development, to which China gathered for a reunion. (English website) Project Chair Mike McElroy was selected to a 5 year term. 4 Recent Publications www.cn.chinaproject.harvard.edu (Chinese website) China Project NEWSLETTER

China Project Research Highlights

Formation of Haze Pollution simulation of the Chinese national and price-based (i.e., trading and tax) Chinese air pollution is less well un- economy and applied microeconomics carbon pricing instruments. derstood than non-scientists realize. and policy. One study, with Ph.D. Working with collaborators in China, student ZHOU Yalin and Prof. Joe Climate Impacts on Wind Power postdocs SONG Shaojie, GAO Meng ALDY (Harvard Kennedy School), The carbon benefits and financial and Prof. Mike McELROY have led a analyzes China’s “Top 1000 Energy returns from Chinese wind power are comprehensive Consuming Enterprises Program”, sensitive to changing wind resources. study to resolve promoting energy conservation in Ph.D. student Peter SHERMAN, large and puzzling China’s largest firms. Previous stud- postdoc CHEN Xinyu, and Prof. differences in the ies found substantial energy saving Mike McELROY have used wind data acidity levels of from the program, comparing firms’ derived from an assimilated meteoro- haze fine particles performance to counterfactual energy logical database to estimate what wind in North China behavior continued from a previous power in China reported in the benchmark year. By instead employing would have been literature. Acid- a matching algorithm to select and on an hourly ity plays a critical role in the chemical compare similar firms subject and not basis from 1979 mechanisms that drive the formation subject to the policy, Cao and col- to 2015. The of secondary PM2.5 and its resulting leagues find surprisingly little policy analysis indicates toxicity. Incorrect estimation of particle effect on energy-saving behavior. a steady decrease pH may have led to faulty conclusions With Prof. Dale JORGENSON in generating po- in a number of prominent papers about (Department of tential over this the causes of Chinese haze. Economics) and period, with the Using field measurements of gases and visiting scholar largest declines in two of the leading particles to critically evaluate two ther- Mun S. HO, Cao wind power regions China: western modynamic models routinely employed also conducts key (-15% ± 7%) and to determine particle acidity, the team Project research northern (-17% ± 8%). found errors in the models as well as on national Taking account of natural climate problems in their application. A result- carbon pricing oscillations, the wind decline is asso- ing conclusion that China’s winter haze policies. China ciated with long-term warming in Si- particles are generally within a moder- recently announced a national carbon beria and correlated with the observed ately acidic range (pH 4 to 5), and not market, starting with the electricity increase in global average surface tem- highly acidic (0) or neutral (7) as has sector in 2020. Cao and colleagues are peratures. China’s ongoing massive been variously reported, may drive new using their general equilibrium model investments in energy systems should insights into the fundamental chemistry of China to examine effects of a vari- take account of possible influences of causing severe haze episodes in China. ety of future policy options, including climate change on future renewable eventual extension of emission trading resources. This research demonstrates Economics and Policy to more sectors, different permit allo- the necessity and value of long-term Visiting scholar Prof. CAO Jing cations or revenue uses, and possible forecasting of wind potentials. conducts studies in both dynamic hybrid policies combining quantity-

2 Fall 2017

Annual Meeting: China Council for International Cooperation on Environ- ment and Development

r. Ganjie, China’s Minister of Environ- Mment, named China Project Chair Prof. Mike McElroy to a 5-year term on the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and De- velopment (CCICED). The CCICED was founded in 1992 as a high-level international advisory body that assesses environment and development challeng- es and makes recommendations to top levels of the Chinese government. It is designed to share interna- Fall Semester Public Events & Seminars tional environmental experience and knowledge and also to help the international community better un- derstand China’s environmental challenges. Formally he China Project welcomed Boston College. The Q&A, driven by chaired by Vice Premier , CCICED Tfilm director WANG Jiuliang an animated and enthusiastic audience, is actively led by two vice chairs, Ministers Li and by live video link to a packed theater touched on various socioeconomic and Catherine McKenna (Minister of Environment and to screen and discuss his latest docu- environmental themes of the documen- Climate Change of Canada) and several Chinese mentary, Plastic China, co-hosted by tary, as well as the filmmaking tech- and international co-chairs including Minister XIE the Emergent Visions Film Series and niques involved. Zhenhua (China’s Special Representative on Climate Environment in Asia Event Series of The China Project also continued Change Affairs). the Fairbank Center and sponsored by its China-focused interdisciplinary McElroy and China Project Executive Director the Harvard Global Institute. The film seminar series this past semester. Chris Nielsen attended the annual general meeting of follows the daily lives of two families Topics included the environmental and the CCICED in early December, held at Diaoyutai living in a typical plastic waste house- economic geography of small hydro- State Guesthouse in Beijing. Participation provides hold-recycling workshop in China and power plants; the value of health and the Project with an opportunity to introduce its explores not only how this work of the urban environment in Chengdu, research findings directly into discussions informing recycling plastic waste with their bare preliminary findings from the China Chinese policy-making and to emphasize the role of hands takes a toll on their health, but Project’s time-series surveys; anthro- independent research in understanding and address- examines as well their own dilemmas of pogenic methane emissions; energy ing China’s environmental risks. It also strengthens poverty, pollution, and disease. Wang systems integration; and household Project relationships with leading decision makers joined the event from Beijing for a consumption inequality in China and and thought leaders on environment and develop- Q&A moderated by Prof. ZHANG its implications for environmental ment from across China and around the world. Ling of the Fairbank Center and policies.

3 China Project NEWSLETTER

Recent Publications

China Project hosts Reunion of Summer Undergraduate Program 2017 Alumni

In response to popular de- More than twenty students at- mand by a tight-knit cohort, tended the gathering, catching the China Project held a small up with each other and with reunion in November for the the program organizers and Harvard students who partic- faculty. Given the success of ipated in the “China’s Envi- the event, we plan to host a ronmental Challenges” un- similar gathering in the com- dergraduate summer program ing semester. in Beijing this past summer. Photos: Students gather to rem- inisce (above); China Project Executive Director Chris Nielsen, left, looks at photo book with Abbott Lawrence Rotch Professor of Atmospheric and Environmental Science Steven Wofsy, who was a guest lecturer during the program.

Adoption of Open Access Policy

The Harvard-China Project is allowing them to retain rights to pleased to announce that we their own works that they might have adopted an open-access not otherwise have retained, and policy, modeled after Harvard to provide open access to their school-level policies, that grants future scholarly articles without the university a nonexclusive the need to negotiate with pub- and worldwide right to make lishers. The open-access policy is our research more accessible consistent with the global nature online. The China Project now of the China Project’s research has a dedicated collection in the mandate and a valuable tool in Harvard open-access repository, its integration of Harvard- and DASH (Digital Access to Schol- China-based scholarship to tackle arship at Harvard). China Project more effectively the challenges of affiliates also have the benefit development and environmental of the Harvard open license, protection in a changing climate. www.chinaproject.harvard.edu www.cn.chinaproject.harvard.edu