Green Development: China on the Move

THE success of China’s proactive afforestation was affirmed in Nature journal’s recent article, “Climate Change: China’s Forest Carbon Uptake ‘Underestimated’.”

- ZHANG HUI

The report, based on ground and satellite observations, was co-authored by researchers at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP), Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Just one month before this, Chinese President Xi Jinping had declared at the General Debate of the 75th Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly China’s endeavor to reach a CO2 emissions peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. This inspiring commitment has polarized global attention on China’s moves over the past few decades to “go green.”

The fifth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, which concluded on October 29, set long-range objectives for China to achieve by 2035. They include promoting eco-friendly work and life modes in every quarter of society. The ensuing steady decline, after reaching a peak, of carbon emissions will intrinsically improve the environment and fundamentally realize the building of a Beautiful China.

As for carbon neutrality, He Jiankun, vice chairman of China’s National Experts Panel on Climate Change, holds that realizing carbon neutrality requires nature-based solutions, such as relying on forests, grasslands, and wetlands for use as carbon sinks that absorb more carbon than they release, thereby ensuring the country’s annual carbon uptake of 0.8 petagrams (1 petagram = 1 billion tons). In addition to efforts to expand carbon absorption, most specifically afforestation, are those that China will take to advance industrial transformation, develop the green and circular economies, and build an energy system that guarantees near-zero-emissions.

Unremitting Afforestation Efforts