What is China doing for the Environment?

TLDR; We look into what China is doing to counteract the emissions it produces. including charity work and government initiatives.

China produces a vast amount of Co2 emissions and in early 2023 this rose again by 4%, up from the 2022 equivalent. China has a reputation for its poor air quality. With multiple air pollution trackers showing air quality in China being several times above the WHO recommended limits. With these stories in mind, it can be tempting to only view environmental stories from China through a negative lens.

However, it is important to take a look at what Chinese entities are doing to counteract increased emissions and high levels of pollution and environmental degradation. These positive changes should be borne in mind and further change encouraged!

Charity work

The main Environmental charity in China is The China Environmental Protection Foundation (CEPF)(中华环境保护基金会). CEPF was founded in 1993 by Professor Qu Geping(曲格平); he used prize money of $100,000 to fund the startup. CEPF was the first Chinese non-profit organization dedicated to helping environmental issues. The charity has been active with environmental projects for the past 30 years:

• Preservation of the Yangtze River (2023)

• Research into trends of using disposable plastic packaging (2022)

• 1000 acres of grassland donated for ecological growth (2011)

• Environmental Protection comic competition for students (2007)

• Atmospheric Environmental monitoring (2004).

[Archive.org was used to find the earlier dated projects as they are no longer on the current website.]

A new project was proposed on 15 May 2023 where the charity have pledged to replant 50,000 trees in and around the Hubei province. The total cost for this project is estimated to be approximately $115,000. The project will help counteract some of the emissions that China produces.

Electric Vehicles

China started investing in Electric Vehicles (EVs) in the 2000s. EV’s only started taking off in 2007. To help reduction of air pollution and reliance on imported oil, China’s National economic planning has consistently prioritized EV development.

The Government spent around $29 billion between 2009 and 2022 on relevant subsidies in order to make and sell the most EVs. The amount of EV evolution has been possible due to the heavy backing by the Government and their support of clean energy. China’s EV sales made up over half of the global sales in 2022, selling around 6 million units.

The majority of sales, up to 2010, were for the public transportation system in China. Shenzhen was the first city in the world to have an all-electric bus fleet. As of 2021 the city has a fleet of 16,000 electric buses. To save money on electricity, companies charge the buses at night as during the day the electricity cost is high.

SOLAR AND WIND CAPACITY

A new report by the Global Energy Monitor highlights China’s impressive progress in renewable energy development over the past 15 years, positioning the country as a global leader in the sector. According to the report, China currently hosts “nearly half of the world’s total operating wind and solar capacity“. The northern and northwest desert regions of China house large-scale wind and solar installations, which play a fundamental role in driving China’s renewable energy growth and greatly contribute to the nation’s energy security objectives.

China is operating large utility-scale solar capacity has surpassed the rest of the world combined, reaching 228 GW. In terms of wind power, China’s combined onshore and offshore wind capacity has exceeded 310 GW.

China plans to further expand its renewable energy sector. It aims to install approximately 379 GW of large-scale solar capacity and 371 GW of wind capacity by the end of 2025, which will likely surpass the central government’s target of 1,200 GW well ahead of 2030.

China is actively promoting power storage solutions, exploring integrated generation and storage systems, and constructing green hydrogen plants using renewable energy.

The progress in renewable energy, In China, is commendable, the article notes that the current pace and scale may not be sufficient to replace coal as a primary power source. The renewable mega-bases in the northwest will combine wind & solar energy generation with coal fired electricity.

However, China is concerned about reliance on intermittent renewable energy. This comes after a drought limited a hydropower plant and caused factories to suspend work.

Their pursuit of renewable energy aligns with its objective to reach the peak of carbon emissions by 2030. Their objective to reach carbon neutrality by 2026 is on track too. A significant number of projects in progress and an accelerating momentum towards renewable energy, China is poised to maintain its leadership in the sector, potentially strengthening its position even further.

Global co-operation

Cooperation with South Korea on initiatives like the “Blue Sky Plan“, is a positive sign in terms of regional cooperation. The five-year-long 2nd Korea-China Environmental Cooperation Plan due to be finalized in early 2024, also shows growth in a positive direction.

Support from the EU for China’s emissions trading schemes has also helped with Globalization.

US-China cooperation on climate change and environmental action has been sluggish and beset by the strategic rivalry between both sides, especially around leadership and innovation power in new and emerging technologies.

Sources

国家统计局信息公开 -Hu Hanzhou: The overall balance of energy supply and demand in the first quarter (2023) 返回首页. Available at: http://www.stats.gov.cn/xxgk/jd/sjjd2020/202304/t20230419_1938823.html (Accessed: 17 May 2023).

Analysis: China’s CO2 emissions hit Q1 record high after 4% rise in early 2023  (2023) Carbon Brief. Available at: https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-chinas-co2-emissions-hit-q1-record-high-after-4-rise-in-early-2023/ (Accessed: 17 May 2023).

China Environmental Protection Foundation (CEPF) | Devex (no date) China Environmental Protection Foundation (CEPF). Available at: https://www.devex.com/organizations/china-environmental-protection-foundation-cepf-36809 (Accessed: 18 May 2023).

China Environmental Protection Foundation’s 2023 ‘One Tree Protects Ecological Civilization’ Poplar Pine, Mongolian Tree, and Mountain Cherry Tree Project Implementation (2023) . Available at: http://www.cepf.org.cn/ (Accessed: 18 May 2023).

Global Energy Monitor Report “A Race to the Top: China 2023”. Available at
https://globalenergymonitor.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GEM-RTTT-China-2023-report-English.pdf (Accessed: 29 June 2023)

Reuters Analysis: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/chinas-new-coal-plants-set-become-costly-second-fiddle-renewables-2023-03-22/
(Accessed: 29 June 2023)

Yang, Z. (2023) How did China come to dominate the world of electric cars?, MIT Technology Review. Available at: https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/02/21/1068880/how-did-china-dominate-electric-cars-policy/ (Accessed: 17 May 2023).

Global EV sales for 2022, EV. Available at: https://www.ev-volumes.com/ (Accessed: 17 May 2023).

Yiyang, C. and Fremery, V. (2022) E-bus development in China: From fleet electrification to refined management, SUSTAINABLE TRANSITION CHINA. Available at: https://transition-china.org/mobilityposts/e-bus-development-in-china-from-fleet-electrification-to-refined-management/ (Accessed: 17 May 2023).

The success of Chinese Electric Buses (2023) Frotcom. Available at: https://www.frotcom.com/blog/2023/03/electric-buses-chinas-success-story (Accessed: 17 May 2023).

The City with 16,000 Electric Buses & 22,000 Electric Taxis | 100% Independent, 100% Electric. (2021) Fully Charged Show – YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P7fTPLSMeI (Accessed: 17 May 2023).