How China has gone from green laggard to green leader

[rooster59]

How China has gone from green laggard to green leader

By SPECIAL TO THE NATION

 

CHINA HAS a track record of making changes rapidly. Within just the past decade or two, the world’s most populous country has become its biggest market for passenger cars, its biggest e-commerce market, its biggest exporter and its biggest source of carbon emissions. So it should come as no surprise that China has now also assumed a leadership position in the green-investment arena.

 

China’s “green” motivations are easy enough to understand. For decades, China’s headlong, double-digit economic growth came at the cost of its environment – with air, water and soil pollution to match. 

 

The fact that many of China’s low-lying urban areas, much like those in Thailand, are vulnerable to the effects of rising sea levels and intensifying weather conditions adds another dimension to the need to act.

 

At the same time, China is more and more educated, articulate and confident citizens are increasingly demanding that the benefits of economic growth come without the pain of environmental degradation.

 

To their credit, the Chinese authorities have recognised the need for action. 

 

They have declared a “war on pollution,” and over the last few years have been ploughing billions into clean energy, investing in low-emissions infrastructure, and widening the options for green financing. China has become the main driver of growth in the global market for green bonds. More than US$33 billion worth of Chinese green bonds were issued last year. That is well over one-third of the global total and it is up from just $1 billion in 2015.

Efforts to decarbonise and green China’s economy now permeate the fabric of its economic efforts; they also dovetail with Beijing’s goal of taking the economy up the value chain, boosting home-grown high-tech industries and the high-end jobs that come with them, and paving the way for more sustainable, balanced and ecologically-aware economic expansion. 

 

The changes are already underway. Last year, for example, China installed almost three times more wind power capacity or 23.3 gigawatts than the United States, taking its total wind power capacity to about one-third of the global total. 

 

Similarly, the country’s photovoltaic capacity more than doubled in 2016, turning China into the world's biggest producer of solar energy by capacity.

 

And in January this year, just as the United States looked poised to take a very different approach on climate change, China said it would plough RMB 2.5 trillion (about US$ 360 billion) into renewable energy by 2020.

 

On the automotive front, meanwhile, official support for electric vehicles means China is likely to become the world’s largest market for such vehicles within the next few years. This has particular resonance for Thailand, where the car industry has long been a major pillar of the economy. Like their counterparts in China, policymakers here want to make the economy more high-tech and innovation-driven. In line with this ambition, the Thai government is aiming to transform the country into a global centre for electric-vehicle production, with the Board of Investment recently approving an investment-promotion package for EVs.

 

Of course, the changes in China’s energy mix and electricity pricing regime, its car fleet or its capital markets cannot happen overnight: it will take years to clean up China’s or indeed Thailand’s environment and truly “green” its economy.

 

But China’s policymakers are committed to the fight. They have not just the motivation, but also the means, and the opportunity to capitalise on China’s economic transition to deliver substantial green progress in the coming years.

 

 That is good news : not just for China, but also for the rest of the world.

 

KELVIN TAN is chief executive officer, HSBC Thailand

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/business/EconomyAndTourism/30312983

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-04-22

[Minnie the Minx]

A lot of info you don't get in Western media channels. Thanks for the article.

 

War on pollution indeed. Beijing and I was there last year visiting a friend is under a constant blanket of pollution, so bad they actually issue warnings from yellow-red-black and schools and some businesses closed for a few days because of some black warning in January. People choking and wearing masks and staying indoors. Some very graphic pics on the Weibo channel and truly frightening.

 

Education is the key with the citizens.

 

China one galaxy, many planets however, the South is nothing like the North in terms of people's perceptions on pollution, smoking in hospitals is fine, throwing your take away containers off The Great Wall is fine too because it gives someone a job, some factory in Tianjin discharging industrial waste  into the river and killing millions of fish and wildlife (they got off on a fine), should be shut down.

 

Attitudes are changing with the new generation but will take years.

[edwinchester]

China will rapidly pull ahead in developing and selling green products now that there is a climate change denier and someone in the pocket of big oil in charge of US policy.

[elgordo38]

7 hours ago, Minnie the Minx said:

A lot of info you don't get in Western media channels. Thanks for the article.

 

War on pollution indeed. Beijing and I was there last year visiting a friend is under a constant blanket of pollution, so bad they actually issue warnings from yellow-red-black and schools and some businesses closed for a few days because of some black warning in January. People choking and wearing masks and staying indoors. Some very graphic pics on the Weibo channel and truly frightening.

 

Education is the key with the citizens.

 

China one galaxy, many planets however, the South is nothing like the North in terms of people's perceptions on pollution, smoking in hospitals is fine, throwing your take away containers off The Great Wall is fine too because it gives someone a job, some factory in Tianjin discharging industrial waste  into the river and killing millions of fish and wildlife (they got off on a fine), should be shut down.

 

Attitudes are changing with the new generation but will take years.

Good read enlightening

[elgordo38]

Yes its bad in China but they are now finally trying to clean things up. Meanwhile the Donald is looking at ways to scrap everything pollution related well that is today anyways. 

[Srikcir]

9 hours ago, rooster59 said:

 That is good news : not just for China, but also for the rest of the world.

Not for the USA as Trump returns the nation to the 20th century levels of air and water pollution.

[Redline]

Trying to preserve control...

[Minnie the Minx]

18 hours ago, elgordo38 said:

Yes its bad in China but they are now finally trying to clean things up. Meanwhile the Donald is looking at ways to scrap everything pollution related well that is today anyways. 

South China especially places like Canton is moving along in leaps and bounds in regards to cleaning up the pollution, not just industrial. Asian Games a few years back, they literally tore down old ghettos and made greenspaces, beautifully manicured landscaping all along most roads and flyovers, revamped the whole place. Shutting down a bunch of illegal pig and chicken farms was another huge step forward as H1N9 and various morphed super bugs were born and bred there. In case you don't know many deaths from swine and bird flu.

 

Many factories in Foshan  (close to Canton) were also closed down 

 

I guess it is the proximity to HK the former British colony and people are super aware. Canton is 90 mins from Hk, Shenzhen also over the border. The rest of China is still a mess, I lived in Shanghai and that's the exception. Still suffers from smog etc but nowhere near the Beijing standard, how anyone could live and work there no idea enter at your own risk.

 

Again thanks for the article.

[elgordo38]

3 hours ago, Minnie the Minx said:

South China especially places like Canton is moving along in leaps and bounds in regards to cleaning up the pollution, not just industrial. Asian Games a few years back, they literally tore down old ghettos and made greenspaces, beautifully manicured landscaping all along most roads and flyovers, revamped the whole place. Shutting down a bunch of illegal pig and chicken farms was another huge step forward as H1N9 and various morphed super bugs were born and bred there. In case you don't know many deaths from swine and bird flu.

 

Many factories in Foshan  (close to Canton) were also closed down 

 

I guess it is the proximity to HK the former British colony and people are super aware. Canton is 90 mins from Hk, Shenzhen also over the border. The rest of China is still a mess, I lived in Shanghai and that's the exception. Still suffers from smog etc but nowhere near the Beijing standard, how anyone could live and work there no idea enter at your own risk.

 

Again thanks for the article.

Thanks for the capsule comment. If you lived there would be interesting to hear more. 

[topt]

On ‎23‎/‎04‎/‎2017 at 8:21 AM, Minnie the Minx said:

South China especially places like Canton is moving along in leaps and bounds in regards to cleaning up the pollution, not just industrial. Asian Games a few years back, they literally tore down old ghettos and made greenspaces, beautifully manicured landscaping all along most roads and flyovers, revamped the whole place. Shutting down a bunch of illegal pig and chicken farms was another huge step forward as H1N9 and various morphed super bugs were born and bred there. In case you don't know many deaths from swine and bird flu.

 

Many factories in Foshan  (close to Canton) were also closed down 

 

I guess it is the proximity to HK the former British colony and people are super aware. Canton is 90 mins from Hk, Shenzhen also over the border. The rest of China is still a mess, I lived in Shanghai and that's the exception. Still suffers from smog etc but nowhere near the Beijing standard, how anyone could live and work there no idea enter at your own risk.

 

Again thanks for the article.

Canton - IE Guangzhou - I was living there before during and after the games. I don't remember specifically any "old ghettos) being torn down (but building was continually ongoing anyhow)  but they did spend billions on tarting up the fronts and sides of many, many buildings on many main and side roads and generally beautifying the city. I also do not recall them making any new greenspaces - they already had/have a fair number. They did extend the metro which made a huge difference in getting about.

 

It seemed to me and others who were there at the time that it was pretty much mainly about appearances.

 

I left 3 years ago and pollution was still a big issue - rare to see bright sun

 

 

[Minnie the Minx]

Climate change is a big one. Last year for example was the coldest winter in sixty years, got down to 3C which is unheard of in the day. 

 

Yes they did 'tart up' the place for appearance sake, don't forget though, I've been around Canton for a good seventeen years ( no I don't live there it's a weekend place) so I have seen many changes. They knocked down a few old joints around Xiao Bei, Beijing Rd, around the Garden Hotel and Taojin, Jingnian Xi, built or if they didn't knock them down they completely restored them. Noveaux restorations and rebuilds but did a lot for the city itself. Liede now and the famous street got a complete overhaul. 

 

They made a lot of green spaces around, I don't know where you were based, the ones around us got a major uplift.

 

Of course it is all about 'appearances' but they have maintained this beautifully, if you visit again you would be impressed.

 

I like Canton for the easy laid back lifestyle, the food streets, shopping of course and nice to escape the goldfish bowl of HK.

 

Grey skies true in winter and I hate that too. Not there in winter but can relate, that's my call to escape to Sydney from any winter.

 

 

Edited April 24, 2017 by Minnie the Minx
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