China is rapidly establishing itself as a global powerhouse in green technology, shifting perspectives and setting new benchmarks in sustainability and economic growth.
Erik Solheim, president of the Green Belt and Road Institute and former executive director of the United Nations Environment Program, noted the dramatic change in China's role in green tech. \"Ten years ago, if people asked me where shall I go to get the best green technology and ideas, I would always answer, please go to Brussels, to Paris and Berlin. If they ask me the same question today, I would say please go to Beijing. Or if you cannot go to Beijing, maybe you should go to Shenzhen, Hangzhou, or to Ningde,\" Solheim remarked.
At the recent third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, China emphasized enhancing ecological conservation systems, cutting carbon emissions, reducing pollution, pursuing green development, and boosting economic growth.
China's leadership in green technologies is evident in its booming new energy vehicle (NEV) market. Companies like BYD and Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory are leading the charge. In 2023 alone, China produced and sold approximately 4.5 million electric vehicles, capturing about 55 percent of the global market share and building over 2.1 million public charging stations, accounting for 65 percent of the global total.
Beyond the automotive sector, China has made significant strides in renewable energy and ecological restoration. With a renewable energy capacity of 1.1 terawatts in 2023, China holds around 30 percent of the global total, leading in wind and solar power capacities.
Long-term projects like the Three-North Shelter Forest Program, which began in 1978, have increased China's forest cover from 12 percent to 23 percent, resulting in over 76 million hectares of new forest.
\"From 2022, China has embarked on a new journey to pursue a Chinese path to modernization, with harmonious coexistence between man and nature an integral part of it,\" stated Ma Jun, director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs. \"It will help further develop eco-civilization in China's long-term socio-economic development and enhance its role in global environmental governance.\"
Internationally, China's influence in green governance is growing. As chair of the Convention on Biological Diversity's 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15), China played a pivotal role in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, setting 23 targets by 2030 to address biodiversity loss and restore ecosystems.
China has also implemented eco-friendly practices in its overseas investment projects, such as preserving elephant habitats in the construction of the China-Laos railway by extending tunnels and building bridges instead of roads.
At the 76th United Nations General Assembly in 2021, China announced it would cease building new coal-fired power projects abroad and support green and low-carbon energy development in developing countries.
\"Chinese modernization is the modernization of harmony between humanity and nature,\" according to a recent resolution. China is committed to responding to climate change and improving systems to ensure that lush landscapes and clean waters are invaluable assets.
Reference(s):
China's push for green technology pioneers global governance
cgtn.com
