New Normal in China--Discuss the Economic and Air Pollution
CHINA'S GREEN GROWTH
China has grown rapidly for more than three decades by following a strategy of high investment and export-driven manufacturing. While this growth lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty, it also provoked the raise of economic inequalities and intensified the emissions of greenhouse gases.
In 2014 the miraculous Chinese growth started slowing down. This phenomenon that the government renamed “New Normal”, called for a new stage of economic development, based on a better quality growth.
While the Chinese economy is maturing, industrializing strategies have led to an increase in air pollution and toxic haze. China consumed the energy equivalent of 4.3 billion tons of coal in 2015, and the plan would seek to exceed 5 billion tons by 2020, which would lead to even higher emissions.
“We shouldn’t pursue economic growth at the expense of the environment. Such growth won’t satisfy the people,” Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said during a press conference.
The 13th Five-Year Plan calls for an 18 percent reduction in carbon intensity, which is a measure of how much carbon dioxide is emitted per unit of domestic product. The latest plan includes a goal to limit the country’s total energy consumption. China consumed energy equivalent to 4.3 billion tons of coal in 2015.
At the United Nations climate summit in Paris last year, China committed to halting the growth in greenhouse-gas emissions by 2030, but some indicators are predicting that the peak could come by 2025.
There is strong growth support for consumption problem associated with the continued growth of vehicle use and oil consumption, such as energy insecurity, traffic congestion, air pollution, and rising GHG emissions, have become a major topic of discussion among Chinese policy-makers. In recognizing these issues, China has decided to change its economic strategy, which has resulted in the new normal. The goal: Environmental sustainability.
China’s New Normal development model provides a great opportunity to ensure that China’s growth is not only strong and sustained, but also low-carbon. Considered its great size—geographically, demographically, economically, and in terms of its energy use—China will always be a critical participant in global climate change policies. It’s reasonable to conclude that, China’s New Normal will set an example for all countries on how to reduce greenhouse gases emissions.
At the 2014 annual session of the National People’s Congress, Premier Li Keqiang declared “war against pollution”. “China will fight (pollution) with the same determination the country battled poverty,” Li said, “The government will take strong measures to prevent and control pollution with the focus on mega cities and regions with frequent occurrence of smog.”
(The photo was taken from one foreshortening in different days: clean air / air pollution)
