China’s green development is beneficial globally.
“China has been one of the main drivers of green energy development around the world.” International observers have spoken positively about China’s transition to green development.
Green development is a key direction in the Government Work Report delivered at the opening of the third session of the 14th National People’s Congress. In recent years, China has been steadfastly committed to green development and has made significant progress.
Green Commitment
China has been making concrete steps toward its commitment to peak carbon emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.
China’s carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP decreased by 50.9 percent in 2021 compared to 2005, the base year for the country’s climate contributions, according to recent reports submitted by China to the secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Meanwhile, renewable energy expansion in China continues to set new records, with over 200 million kilowatts of newly installed capacity for renewable energy power generation in the first three quarters of 2024, accounting for more than 80 percent of total new installed capacity.
China also makes headway on biodiversity protection. Thanks to China’s relentless efforts, over 300 endangered species are on the path to recovery. The crested ibis, which was once thought to be extinct in China, has seen its population soar from only seven in the 1980s to more than 7,000.
International Cooperation
Bearing fruitful achievements domestically, China has been assisting other countries in achieving green growth and strengthening their adaptation capacity for climate change.
For years, China has aided the construction of clean energy and environmental protection projects in developing countries.
For instance, under the China-Ethiopia-Sri Lanka Renewable Energy Technology Transfer Project, 11 green energy solutions have been installed covering 12 small and medium-sized demonstration sites and benefiting more than 50,000 people across five provinces in Sri Lanka and four regions in Ethiopia. They will generate at least 70,000 kWh of energy — saving approximately 157,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year.
Moreover, clean energy stations with Chinese investments have taken off in both Kazakhstan and Mali. The Zhanatas Wind Farm in Kazakhstan generates 350 million kWh of clean electricity annually, equivalent to saving 109,500 tons of standard coal and cutting carbon emissions by 289,000 tons every year.
So-called “Overcapacity”
However, the recent hostile narratives on China’s so-called “overcapacity” have targeted the country’s clean energy products, such as solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles and lithium batteries.
While blasting narratives that accuse China of “overcapacity” in green energy sectors, Liu Jieyi, a member of the Standing Committee and vice-chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the CPPCC National Committee, said that “many countries are exporting what they produce best, and you cannot call that ‘overcapacity'”.
“If you measure the future needs of the world for green energy — at least according to the International Energy Agency’s projection — we are still falling short of the need to cope with climate change for green energy,” Liu said.
“Therefore, it’s not a matter of ‘overcapacity’. It’s a matter of more extensive use of green energy,” he added.
China has made clean products affordable for all countries, as the domestic scale-up of manufacturing has driven down costs dramatically, said Belinda Schaepe, a China policy analyst at the Helsinki-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. Together with international partners, China can also collaborate to promote green financing, especially for emerging economies.
Written by Liu Sha, picture designed by Dai Qing, additional reporting from Ecns, Xinhua, China Daily.
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