Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
1
China's Green Low-Carbon Development
Jinjun Xue and Xiaowei Xuan
Abstract
On becoming the world's second largest economy, China also tops the world in
CO2 emissions, and severe environmental pollution becomes a huge cost of
China's speedy economic growth. Issues of environmental pollution and carbon
emissions make China the focus and target of international talk and criticism as
it increasingly gains international influence. However, people may don't know
the facts that China's emission reduction actions are the strictest and its enforce-
ment is the strongest in the world. Statistical data shows that during the 11th
Five-Year Plan, China's energy/GDP ratio decreased by 19.1 %, the shares of
non-fossil energy consumption rose to 8.4 %, national chemical oxygen demand
decreased by 12.5 %, and emissions of SO2 dropped by 14.5 %. Objectively
speaking, China reduces and achieves the most in the world.
The 12th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development
proposes that China will accelerate the “transformation of economic develop-
ment mode” and take “green development”, “Circular economy, “low carbon
technology”, and “sustainable development with environmental and ecological
protection as the new direction of future national development. The idea of
“green development” raised by the 12th Five-Year Plan is a significant turning
point in China's economic development and will fundamentally change China's
economic and social development mode and produce lasting and deep influence
in the world.
