China balances growth with ecological protection

China has achieved remarkable economic growth over the past decade without compromising its environment, and knowledge-sharing on that front can help the world at a time of increased pressure to transition away from old-fashioned development models, senior environment officials said.

The country doubled its economy from 2013 to last year, said Huang Runqiu, minister of ecology and environment, and an executive vice-chairman of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development, known as the CCICED.

At the same time, the concentration in the air of PM2.5, a major gauge of air pollution, was slashed by 57 percent, solving one of the most "prominent ecological and environmental problems that had elicited strong reactions from the people", he said while addressing the CCICED's 2023 annual general meeting, a three-day event that opened on Monday in Beijing.

Huang said the progress was made possible because environmental protection work has been given a more prominent place in China's social development since 2012, when the idea of ecological civilization had been used to steer economic development.

Another milestone was the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October last year.

The meeting expounded that harmonious coexistence between human and nature is an important aspect of the Chinese path to modernization.

Apart from better air, China has also managed to create 667 million hectares of forests over the decade, larger than any other country has achieved.

The installed capacity of renewable energy projects reached 1.3 billion kilowatts in June, surpassing that of coal power plants for the first time. About 16.2 million electric cars — or half of the world's total — are crisscrossing China's roads, Huang told the gathering.

"There has been a historic, transformative and comprehensive change in both the theory and practice of ecological environmental protection since 2012," he said, though noting that as a populous nation, China is facing special challenges in environmental protection.

He said China has participated in global environmental governance, upholding the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, firmly practicing multilateralism, and striving to promote the construction of a fair, equitable and mutually beneficial global environmental governance system.

While addressing the meeting, China's Special Envoy for Climate Change Xie Zhenhua said China is now a pioneer in advancing the cause of global climate governance.

By setting two carbon goals — to peak carbon emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060 — among other efforts, the Chinese government lists combating climate change as an important national strategy, and to make progress on that front underpins the country's overall socioeconomic progress, he said.

In 2020, China's carbon emission intensity was 48.4 percent lower than the level in 2005, he said.

Xie noted that the transition away from the old development path has become an irresistible trend as the world today is facing geopolitical tensions, weak economic recovery and other challenges. Every country is forced to balance current economic growth with long-term growth.

"Extreme weather has become a mainstay in many parts of the world, and climate change is now fueling crises in real life," he said at the meeting.

He said most countries now agree with the need for green, low-carbon development models for the future.

Xie said the world needs to adopt concrete measures and work together to complete that transition, and only with that done would there be hope for the planet.

"Every country needs to keep their climate promise and learn from success stories."

The CCICED was created in 1992 as a high-level international policy advisory body.

An annual report released by the organization said the CCICED is a witness and participant in the country's "historic shifts in its development philosophy and model", and has played significant roles in advancing China's sustainable development.