[By Guancha Observer Network, Shao Yun]

According to a May 19 report by the South China Morning Post, British earth scientist and newly appointed dean of the School of Energy and Environment at City University of Hong Kong, Benjamin Horton, stated that China is attractive to climate scientists because it is willing to invest funds to strongly support environmental research, and with government support, China's green technology development is rapid. He believes that China is "a great hope for climate science."

As reported, Horton was previously an Earth Sciences professor at the Asian School of Environment at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and also served as director of the Nanyang Singapore Earth Observatory Institute. He graduated from the University of Liverpool in the UK for his undergraduate degree and earned his PhD in Geography from Durham University in the UK. Horton has also taught at universities such as Rutgers University and the University of Pennsylvania in the US, and has been elected a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) and the Geological Society of America (GSA).

"Most of my career has been spent in the US, the UK, Europe, and Australia. I want to come here because I want to work in China—it is a superpower and supports environmental protection," Horton told the South China Morning Post.

Horton said that while many other countries are "reducing their efforts," China is "continuously investing in green technologies and afforestation," making it a fertile ground for climate science researchers worldwide.

"If you're a young scientist who really wants to make a difference on the issue of climate change, where would you choose to go?" Horton said, "You would consider working in China because China has always had the ambition to become a world scientific leader and has invested heavily in facilities, infrastructure, and educational programs."

Photo caption: Dr. Horton, South China Morning Post

He pointed out that China has set targets to reach peak carbon emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, which also brings more research opportunities. "If China achieves net-zero emissions, it will be the only country that can have an impact on everyone globally," Horton said, adding that other countries could only achieve similar global influence through regional cooperation like the EU or ASEAN.

The report mentioned that despite some retreat at the governmental level in the US, Horton believes that the data collection and sharing work done by the US in the field of climate science over the past few decades still makes it difficult for other countries to easily replace the US role. However, he is optimistic about the development of China's climate research. He noted that in recent years, the number of scientific papers published by China in top journals has been increasing, showing that China's importance in the field of climate science is growing day by day.

A February update to Nature's index list showed that in the past year, among the top 20 institutions in terms of Earth and environmental science research output, 15 were from China, with the Chinese Academy of Sciences topping the list. The highest-ranking US institution on the list was NASA and NOAA, ranked 18th and 19th respectively.

Meanwhile, President Trump, who began his second term, announced that the US would withdraw again from the Paris Agreement aimed at combating climate change, with the withdrawal taking effect on January 27 next year. Additionally, after taking office, Trump announced the cessation of large-scale funding for projects related to mitigating climate change, dismissed many officials and experts involved in climate or environmental affairs, and instructed government departments to ban the use of words related to "climate change."

The report said that Horton plans to establish a climate research center at City University of Hong Kong, hoping it will become a hub for climate scientists at Hong Kong universities and also attract researchers from other fields. He emphasized that without stable climates, there can be no sustainable development. "I need to push forward some work quickly because we are at a critical moment regarding climate issues—we cannot wait ten years."

Data shows that from 2013 to 2023, China sustained an average annual energy consumption growth rate of 3.3%, supporting an average annual economic growth rate of 6.1%, with cumulative energy intensity reduction reaching 26.1%, making it one of the countries with the fastest decline in energy intensity globally.

Non-profit organization "Global Energy Monitor" (GEM) "Global Photovoltaic Power Tracking" data shows that by June 2024, China's installed capacity of photovoltaic power generation projects reached 386,875 megawatts, accounting for approximately 51% of the global total, ranking first in the world. The US, with 79,364 megawatts and 11% of the global share, ranks second. India ranks third with an installed capacity of approximately 53,114 megawatts, accounting for 7%.

An article on NASA's website recently pointed out that "in the past decade, China's solar development has been particularly rapid." According to GEM tracking data, from 2017 to 2023, China's photovoltaic power generation capacity surged by nearly 40,000 megawatts annually, described as "unprecedented." Some US media reports say this far exceeds the growth rate of the US, which added approximately 8,100 megawatts of photovoltaic power generation capacity during the same period.

This article is an exclusive contribution from the Guancha Observer Network and cannot be reproduced without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7506115440586818074/

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