China sent many positive signals about environmental protection in 2015, but implementing these measures remains crucial. Looking back at China's environmental record this year, we can see that while well-intentioned policies are not always just empty words, translating them into tangible progress requires strategy and methods.
On January 1, 2015, China's new Environmental Protection Law officially came into effect amidst widespread anticipation. Observers both inside and outside China, after reading the legal text, could clearly sense the Chinese government's urgent desire to solve environmental problems. There will be no upper limit to fines faced by polluting companies, the government encourages non-governmental organizations to file public interest lawsuits, and local governments will be held accountable for the quality of their local environments.
Another major event in China's environmental protection efforts this year was the refinement of its greenhouse gas emission reduction plan and increased national participation. Last November, China issued a historic announcement declaring its commitment to achieving its carbon emission reduction targets by 2030. This year, the Chinese government further elaborated on this goal, proposing ambitious carbon intensity targets and outlining a timeline for establishing a nationwide carbon trading system. These commitments from China were key factors in the Paris Agreement reached by various countries on December 12th.
On the issue of climate change, the intentions of China's top leaders are highly aligned with reality. Firstly, the Chinese economy is undergoing significant transformations, including reducing reliance on heavy industries such as steel and cement, and improving energy efficiency. As China's largest primary energy source, coal demand is therefore facing downward pressure.
At the beginning of the year, China's coal production experienced its first decline this century, a trend many considered irreversible. The latest official data shows that coal production continues to fall. China's determination to combat air pollution is also a major factor threatening coal production and use. Earlier this year, former CCTV reporter Chai Jing released the environmental documentary "Under the Dome," which deeply revealed public concerns about air pollution, leaving an increasingly deep imprint on public consciousness. "Under the Dome" quickly garnered widespread attention, achieving 200 million views within days. Although the documentary's subsequent situation was somewhat complex, the strong public reaction undoubtedly gave the government a greater sense of urgency and political impetus for its pollution control efforts. At the end of the year, the government introduced even stricter regulations for coal. All of these factors demonstrate that China's emission reduction commitments have a solid foundation.
The Paris Climate Change Conference held in December further solidified the Chinese government's determination to transform its economy from one driven by fossil fuels to one that develops clean and renewable energy in order to curb the continuous rise in national carbon emissions.
On December 23, the State Council Information Office of China held a press conference for Chinese and foreign media entitled "Returning from Paris to Discuss Climate Change." Xie Zhenhua, China's Special Representative for Climate Change Affairs and Vice Chairman of the Population, Resources and Environment Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, stated that if China can achieve its climate change action targets, it will not only save energy, improve energy efficiency, adjust its energy structure, and increase the proportion of non-fossil fuels and renewable energy, but also reduce smog pollution by 42% once the targets are achieved.
While China is actively pursuing its energy conservation and carbon reduction goals, it also calls on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to examine whether there is room for improvement in their business operations and production processes. Furthermore, it encourages them to actively develop green products with less negative environmental impact by applying green design based on the product lifecycle concept, in order to adapt to the new international trend of green economy.
Sources:Chinadialogue (2015-12-23) (Compiled by PIDC)
