Assistant Professor Ye Bin Co-Authors China’s First Series of Textbooks on Climate Change Economics has published officially

       On 31 December 2021, the first domestic series of textbooks on Climate Change Economics, co-authored by Assistant Professor Ye Bin, was officially published. This demonstrates that Southern University of Science and Technology’s research on climate-change economics has been recognized by domestic experts and marks another milestone achievement for Assistant Professor Ye Bin in his field. The series provides a systematic summary of global climate change, climate governance, and carbon-emission accounting, filling the gap of a formal, locally produced professional textbook in this area and offering valuable support for climate-policy research in China.

        The goal set by the CPC Central Committee—“strive to peak carbon emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060”—is not only a solemn commitment to the world but also a broad and profound economic and social transformation. Carbon peaking and carbon neutrality are major strategic decisions based on the responsibility of building a community with a shared future for mankind and on the intrinsic requirement of sustainable development. They demonstrate China’s responsibility as a major country in tackling climate change and promote a green and low-carbon transition of China’s economy and society. Carbon peaking and carbon neutrality are inevitable choices for China to realize modernization featuring harmony between humanity and nature and to advance an all-round green transformation of economic and social development. The Climate Change Economics series provides technical and theoretical support for achieving these goals, reflects Chinese scholars’ academic sensitivity to China’s realities, and demonstrates their determination and courage to offer intellectual contributions. Carbon peaking and carbon neutrality will become a new research field requiring active exploration by scholars.

        To strengthen disciplinary and academic systems for addressing climate change and to enhance China’s discourse power, the Institute of Ecological Civilization of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, relying on the Peak Discipline Construction Project of Philosophy and Social Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences—“Climate Change Economics”—organized and invited nearly one hundred authors from nearly fifty universities and research institutes nationwide to jointly compile the first domestic series of textbooks on Climate Change Economics. After five years of effort, nine volumes totaling 2.52 million words were completed: Introduction to Climate Change Economics, Economics of Climate Change Mitigation, Economics of Climate Change Adaptation, Global Climate Governance, Carbon Accounting Methodology, Climate Finance, Trade and Climate Change, Carbon Market Economics, and Theory, Method and Practice of Low-Carbon Cities. The series will be used in teaching, research, and training on climate-change economics. This set of textbooks establishes a solid scientific and theoretical foundation for China’s new climate-change goals and for achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.