China has made considerable progress over the last decade in curbing the environmental damages associated with rapid growth. New laws have established comprehensive regulations for the environment, the government has invested an increasing amount of resources in protecting air and water, and economic reforms have reduced the energy intensity of the economy at a pace faster than the industrialized countries.
Chinese leaders recognize that much remains to be done. Major Chinese cities have particulate and sulfur levels that exceed WHO and Chinese standards by two-to-five-times, and are among the highest in the world. Pollution is one factor making chronic obstructive pulmonary disease--emphysema and chronic bronchitis -- the leading cause of death in China, with a mortality rate five times greater than the US.
Innovation
The nature of environmental protection is to balance sustainability with productivity. To improve the environment and to build a comprehensive decision making system, local officials have taken responsibility for environmental issues. Local officials are emphasizing the following: enhanced centralized environmental monitoring and control, mass involvement and volunteerism, and pollution prevention and ecology protection. Key issues include pollution prevention in important cities, waterways, and ocean areas.
As the state organizational structure is reformed, the environmental protection sector is continuously strengthened. In 1988, the State Environmental Protection Bureau was separated from the State City and Countryside Construction Environment Protection Ministry and became an independent office directly under the State Council. In 1993, it was promoted to the vice ministry directly under the State Council. In 1998, it was promoted to the ministry level and renamed the State Environmental Protection Administration.
China has been working to educate citizens and encourages them to participate in environmental protection. The government has set up an environmental hotline to report on polluters at 12369. China is also committed to providing environmental status information such as daily air quality reports and forecasts for 47 cities, the weekly water quality report, and environmental reports on the country's beaches.
Future
Demand for energy increasing...
One of China's main priorities as it enters the 21st century is developing and utilizing technologies to solve the major environmental challenges it is currently facing and will face in the future.
While residential consumption has increased its share of China's energy demand over the last decade, the largest absolute gains in consumption were from the industrial sector. Overall, total Chinese energy-related carbon emissions more than doubled since 1980, when the government began implementing energy conservation laws. This increased energy demand has encouraged China to accelerate the development of cleaner fuels such as natural gas, coalbed methane and hydropower. Current efforts by China to offset coal consumption include the development of natural gas and coalbed methane infrastructure, increasing the number of combined heat and power plants, adding approximately 3,000 megawatts (MW) of hydropower annually, and developing renewable energy resources such as wind and photovoltaics for electricity generation.
As to China’s renewable energy resources, after coal, renewables (including hydroelectricity) account for the second largest share, 18.6% in 2001, of China's electricity generation. With assistance from the United Nations and the United States, China hopes to embark on a multi-million dollar renewable energy strategy to combat pollution. Wind resources are concentrated in the northern and western regions of China, as well as along the coast, and are suitable for both rural village electrification and large-scale, grid-connected electricity production. The highest wind potential in China lies along the coast and the offshore islands, in or near many of the major population centers.
China has introduced bold initiatives to cut back on coal use. In an effort to encourage a switch to cleaner burning fuels, the government has introduced a tax on high-sulfur coals, and in Beijing, officials aiming to phase out coal from the city center have established 40 "coal-free zones," and have made plans to construct natural gas pipelines. Similar efforts are taking place in other major Chinese cities.
In an effort to reduce air pollution in Beijing, the municipal government in 1999 ordered city vehicles to convert to liquefied petroleum gas and natural gas. By 2002, Beijing had the largest fleet of natural gas buses in the world - a total of 1,630 vehicles. Subway and light rail systems in Beijing also are being expanded.
