ABSTRACT
Applying a holistic approach that links insights, analysis, and concepts from a range of disciplines, this book works with climate change, China, and confronting challenges associated with carbon emissions. For symmetry, I chose a title with four Cs. I toyed with adding a subtitle with four more Cs that also feature prominently in the pages that follow: Consumption, Co-benefits, Culture, and Collaboration. This coverage brings us to eight Cs, a lucky number among many Chinese. To stem global warming and stabilize the climate, we all can use a steady flow of good luck. However, China Confronts Climate Change is about policy, action, and promising pathways – not luck. To be precise, it emphasizes the bottom-up perspective that often is overlooked when scientists calculate and international negotiators meet.1 It builds on nascent, but growing recognition that if “real action on climate change” is to occur, “we need to move from a top-down strategy to a bottom-up approach” (Etsy, 2014).
