China’s new growth story: Linking the 14th Five-Year Plan with the 2060 carbon neutrality pledge

This paper discusses how China’s low-carbon transition can act as a new driver of growth in the post-COVID-19 era. It argues that China should peak its carbon emissions during the 14th Five-Year Plan, which covers the period 2021 to 2025, and bend the emissions curve quickly, in order to achieve the 2060 carbon neutrality goal announced in September 2020. The paper concludes by outlining the core policies and strategies needed in the 14th Five-Year Plan to shape the low-carbon agenda in the near to medium term.