Transformation Of Green Trade Policy In The Context Of Low-carbon Economy

With the process of global economic integration and trade cooperation betweencountries, world economy developed rapidly in the21stcentury. However, at the sametime, global warming has become one of the most serious challenges facing the world.As the major power of greenhouse gas emission in the world, the emission of carbondioxide in China has aroused widespread international attention. In recent years, due tothe pressure from international community, China has been positive in dealing with theproblem of global climate change and has took substantial steps which include activelyparticipate in the negotiation of international climate treaty and cut greenhouse gasemission with due diligence.In recent years, China’s foreign trade has developed continuously, but the price ofthat are high emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Low-carboneconomy has become the mainstream trend of global economic cooperation anddevelopment. However, the continuous growth of our country’s foreign trade and theproblem of carbon emissions are, to a great extent, to the disadvantage of energyreduction and low-carbon economy development in our country. Therefore, optimize theexport structure and achieve the transformation of export trade have naturally become theonly way of sustainable development of trade and the development of low-carboneconomy.This paper, first of all, conducted a systematic summary of a large number ofresearches at home and abroad, and described in detail of the related concepts andtheories of low-carbon economy and green trade, which provided a theoretical basis forthe writing of this paper. From chapter three to chapter five is the focus of this paper.Firstly, chapter three emphasized on China’s trade status quo from the following fouraspects as to China’s scale of foreign trade, trade structure, trade division and majorforeign trade market. Later, an analysis was carried out on the international pressure toreduce emissions under the background of low-carbon economy and the threat to ourtrade caused by new trade barrier. Then, in chapter four, an introduction of the presentsituation of energy consumption and carbon emissions in our country was made firstly. Secondly, an overall analysis of the correlation between export trade and carbon emissionwas made. Through a series procedure of related-coefficient test, stationary test,co-integration test and Granger cause and effect test, an econometric model was alsoestablished, the test results show that the increase of carbon emissions is related with theexport trade growth of our country, and the latter can cause the increase of the former. Allthis led to a conclusion that the expansion of export trade is a significant contributor toChina’s carbon emissions growth in recent years. Therefore, the current trade pattern atpresent is against the development of low-carbon economy in our country. Chapter fiveprovided an introduction of the influences to our country’s foreign trade which wascaused by carbon tariff as a new type of green trade barriers. A conclusion was made thatin the future, high carbon products will gradually lose its market competitiveness whilelow-carbon products will gain more and more recognition and approval under thefavorable operating conditions. Therefore, China should try to achieve the transformationto low-carbon export trade, establish a trade pattern consistent with the low-carboneconomy and actively develop low-carbon economy.Based on the introduction and analysis made in the early chapters, the last paragraphproposed some suggestions and measures to China’s transformation of export trade in thebackground of low-carbon economy, which include the following five aspects;optimization of trade structure, upgrading of processing trade, extension of emergingmarkets, reduction of trade dependence and innovation in low-carbon technology. Allthesemeasures will be of great practical significance to a better and faster development oflow-carbon economy in our country.