Reference News Network September 10 report: Hong Kong's South China Morning Post website published an article titled "More Factories, Less Pollution: How China's Green Technology Revolution Works" on September 9. The translation is as follows:

In nearly 20 years of environmental research, Ma Jun has witnessed what can be considered the fastest environmental improvement in the world.

In 2006, he founded the Institute of Public and Environmental Research (IPE) in Beijing, a non-profit environmental research organization.

At that time, IPE's data showed that some monitored water sources across the country were severely polluted and undrinkable. However, over the years, water quality has significantly improved, with the proportion of high-quality surface water sections nationwide exceeding 90%.

The study also shows that from 2015 to 2022, the annual average level of PM2.5 across the country decreased by about 35.6%.

This is not environmentalism driven by deindustrialization, but decarbonization driven by industrialization—a revolution propelled by the deployment of advanced technologies, real-time monitoring, and large-scale investment in green infrastructure.

From electric vehicles to solar panels and lithium batteries, these industries that have driven China's economic growth are at the core of China's efforts to promote sustainable development.

Notably, unlike some developed countries that usually alleviate environmental degradation through industrial chain transfer and structural upgrades, China has taken a unique path: building more factories while controlling, even reversing, environmental degradation.

China not only produces basic consumer goods and industrial materials for its 1.4 billion people, but also builds a large number of residential and infrastructure projects to cope with rapid urbanization over the past 40 years, while playing the role of "the world's factory."

"This undoubtedly brings significant challenges to China," Ma Jun said. "The economic development of the Western world eventually led to 'deindustrialization.' However, for various reasons, China is now determined to maintain a comprehensive industrial system while controlling pollution and decarbonizing its economy."

In 2013, China launched the Action Plan for Air Pollution Prevention and Control, aiming to address the serious air pollution at that time. In 2022, the PM2.5 level in Beijing, the capital, dropped to 30 micrograms per cubic meter, and the number of heavily polluted days decreased from 58 in 2013 to 3.

Considering the rapid economic development and industrial emission intensity during the same period, this tough battle against air pollution is unprecedented in history.

Last year, Tamara Carlton, assistant professor at the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, said: "It is clear that pollution levels have declined at an unprecedented rate over the past seven or eight years."

In recent years, China has done a lot of work in strengthening pollution management. Ma Jun said that these measures (including customized regulatory methods to better target polluters and strengthen public supervision) have produced 'significant results.'

In 2020, China announced that carbon dioxide emissions aim to peak by 2030 and strive to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. Since then, addressing environmental issues must involve fundamental reforms, including changing energy, industrial, and transportation structures.

After that, China began a large-scale green energy transition, making substantial investments in renewable energy, with large projects emerging across the country like mushrooms after rain.

According to a report released by the International Renewable Energy Agency in March this year, in 2024, the share of renewable energy in the global new installed capacity increased significantly, reaching 92.5%, with China's new renewable energy installations accounting for nearly 64% of the global total.

The Chinese government has set a goal that by the end of 2025, non-fossil energy consumption will account for 20% of total energy consumption, and progress is faster than expected.

Wang Hongzhi, director of the National Energy Administration, stated at a press conference in Beijing in mid-August that it is expected to exceed the target this year. Wang Hongzhi pointed out that the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption reached 19.8% last year, and the next step is to reach around 25%.

China's new energy vehicle sales in 2024 have exceeded 12 million units, accounting for more than half of the global sales.

A report released by the International Council on Clean Transportation in June also showed that Chinese car manufacturers ranked first in the coverage of zero-emission vehicles.

Zang Jiyuan, researcher at the Strategic Advisory Center of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said that green development, which was originally a factor that might hinder China's economic growth, has turned into a competitive advantage.

High technology and innovative solutions have also enhanced China's ability to cope with large-scale manufacturing output and environmental challenges. (Translated by Xu Yanhong)

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7548266933976662566/

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