The recent Beijing Forum on Swift Response to Public Complaints, held on December 18 and 19, 2024, marked a significant milestone in the city's journey towards sustainable urban governance. Bringing together over 160 international guests from more than 40 countries, the forum delved into pathways for modernizing urban governance with a strong emphasis on low-carbon development.
As the global population surpassed 8 billion in 2023, with more than half residing in urban areas, cities worldwide are grappling with numerous governance challenges. Among these, climate change stands out as a critical issue necessitating urgent action. In response, Beijing has positioned green and low-carbon development at the forefront of its urban governance strategy.
The city has faced the brunt of climate change impacts, with 2023 witnessing record high temperatures and unprecedented weather extremes. The Beijing Climate Center reported that the annual average temperature reached its highest level since 1961, accompanied by a significant increase in high-temperature days. Additionally, the city experienced the heaviest rainfall in 140 years during the summer, leading to severe flooding and highlighting the urgent need for robust climate adaptation measures.
In April 2024, Beijing introduced a comprehensive action plan for climate change adaptation, focusing on disaster prevention, mitigation, and enhancing urban climate resilience. These efforts are part of a broader initiative to transition to green energy and protect the urban environment. Under the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020), Beijing established major combined heat and power centers, phased out coal-fired units, and expanded gas-fired units, resulting in a significant reduction in coal dependency.
These measures have yielded impressive results. The share of coal in Beijing's energy consumption plummeted from 13.7 percent in 2015 to just 1.9 percent in 2020, achieving a coal-free status in the city's plain areas. Consequently, carbon dioxide and air pollutant emissions have been drastically reduced at the source. The annual average PM2.5 concentration decreased from 80.6 micrograms per cubic meter in 2015 to 32 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023, and the number of days with heavy pollution fell from 42 to eight annually, including a significant reduction in sandstorm days.
Beijing's proactive measures in promoting clean energy and reducing pollution underscore its role as a leader in low-carbon urban growth. As cities around the world strive to balance modernization with sustainability, Beijing's green blueprint serves as an inspiring model for achieving resilient and environmentally friendly urban environments.
Reference(s):
Beijing's green blueprint: A model for low-carbon urban growth
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