Commentary

China's green path

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-10-30 07:40

As a developing country with the world's largest population, China does not have the luxury to take green causes merely as a matter of lifestyle.

If it can navigate through the long and hard way to go green, it will achieve a feat as great as the growth miracle the country has achieved over the past three decades.

However, the down-to-earth approach the Chinese government has so far adopted to push ahead with the pursuit of sustainable development is pertinent to the country's economic and environmental realities. Any requirement for China to shoulder greater responsibilities in the global fight against climate change will be ill-conceived if it does not take this into full consideration.

The white paper that the government issued yesterday on China's Policies and Actions for Addressing Climate Change offered observers a good chance to understand the on-going campaign to go green in this country. It depicts not only huge difficulties China faces but also the unremitting efforts the country has made to build itself into a resource-conserving and environment-friendly society.

The combination of huge population pressure, relatively low level of economic development, a complex climate and a fragile eco-environment has made China quite vulnerable to climate change, already threatening the natural ecosystems as well as economic and social development of the country.

For millions of Chinese people who have just been lifted out of abject poverty, the adverse effects of climate change can still affect their survival, and not just their well-being.

Nevertheless, the grim reality has not blinded Chinese policymakers to the underlying need for the country to go green.

In spite of obvious negative impacts on employment and economic growth in the short term, the country has constantly raised environmental standards and energy efficiency requirements across the economy.

The government has made it a top goal to cut energy intensity by 20 percent and major pollutant emission by 10 percent between 2006 and 2010. Admittedly, the country still falls behind schedule on energy conservation and pollution control. But the Chinese authorities have no intention to retreat in the face of daunting difficulties to achieve the energy and environmental goals.

The ongoing global financial crisis has given rise to doubts that the urgency to avoid a global economic slump might undermine global efforts to address climate change.

That is a bad news when the world is to negotiate a new climate change pact as the successor to the current Kyoto Protocol which expires at the end of 2012.

But the white paper on climate change clearly shows that Chinese authorities are resolved to explore a green path for the country.

That should be good news for the world needs China not only as a powerful economic engine but also as an increasingly important champion of green growth.