Earlier in 2012, China's National Development and Reform Commission announced plans to launch carbon-trading systems in five cities - Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Chongqing, as well as in Guangdong and Hubei provinces by 2013. Beijing is currently preparing its own carbon-trading scheme ahead of a proposed nationwide system to go into effect around 2015. A major challenge for perennially pollution-challenged Beijing remains calculating the impact of "indirect" carbon emissions in the city. While Beijing consumes plenty of energy and creates plenty of emissions, much of the electricity is generated well outside of the city limits. China Daily recently quoted Beijing municipal Development and Reform Commission senior official … [Read more...]

Despite controversy over trade with China, the US has also been a recent beneficiary of Chinese investment in US energy technology. In the past several months alone, new clean energy investment deals have targeted US-based manufacturers such as DuPont. Chinese firm Wanxiang USA Holdings Corp, for example, has invested $420 million into GreatPoint Energy, a Massachusetts coal-to-gas plant. A recent article by ChinaDialogue details these and other recent deals, emphasizing the growing impact of Chinese investment in US cleantech - estimated to total more than $6 billion since 2006. There are still barriers to increased investment and trade between China and the US in the cleantech space, however. Most significantly, unclear national … [Read more...]

Those in the United States and Europe have long heard the argument that if China doesn't curb emissions, then why should they? New signs that China is serious about emissions caps and trading may mean it is time for Europe and others to take their own steps toward reducing carbon intensity, since "inaction in China" will no longer be an excuse. A recent report in the UK's Guardian newspaper explores these issues. Though China's rapid growth and large size means that pollution control measures are often difficult to implement and slow to become visible, there are a number of key actions that have taken place nonetheless. In particular, the 12th Five-Year Plan is especially ambitious in focusing on sustainable economic and social … [Read more...]

  Chinese environmental activist Ma Jun will be in San Francisco on Monday, April 23 to receive the coveted Goldman Environmental Prize, for "bringing unprecedented environmental transparency and empowering Chinese citizens to demand justice". Ma's descriptions of pollution problems and industry's deleterious effect on China's environment have prompted not only the government but also large corporations like Apple to confront the issues. Due to its rapid industrial and economic growth, China is experiencing problems with air and water quality, as well as reports of lead poisoning. Ma has recently moved from electronics to the textile industry, with a focus on water pollution and other hidden side effects of the many products … [Read more...]

Beijing's smoggy skies are well-known, but progress toward solutions has been slow - that is, until the Chinese public took to social media to demand more government transparency. Yale Environment 360's Christina Larsson recently interviewed well-known Chinese environmental activist Ma Jun about public engagement in the fight for blue skies in Beijing. Jun is an investigative journalist and Director of the Chinese Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs. He has also written many articles for ChinaDialogue. He explains that the pollution problem in Beijing is particularly difficult to tackle since the region is still growing at a rapid rate. Even dust from construction adds to the particulate matter in the atmosphere. Increased … [Read more...]