Translated with AI
June 5th is World Environment Day. It is not just a date on the calendar, but also an important occasion to remind everyone of the need to take care of the environment and protect the resources of our planet.
In the context of continuous environmental degradation, environmental issues, along with security, trade, economics and health issues, have moved to the center of the world agenda, becoming one of the key issues of concern to the international community.
Ten years ago, China faced serious environmental pollution. The words “air pollution or smog” were often heard in Chinese conversations or published in the media. People living in the most polluted cities dreamed of the complete disappearance of smog. In 2018, China put forward special programs to combat air, water and soil pollution. Literally translated from Chinese, it is “the battle for the blue sky”, “for emerald water” and “for clean soil”. The Chinese often metaphorically call it “battle or struggle”, describing the solution of difficult problems. This expression reflects the determination and strength of the state, emphasizing the “fighting spirit” in overcoming difficulties. The result of improving the environment is obvious. Today, such a feeling of anxiety and concern about air quality has become much less common. Between 2013 and 2022, China's GDP more than doubled, and the average concentration of PM2.5 decreased by 57%. The number of days with severe air pollution decreased by 93%. This has made China the country with the fastest rate of improvement in air quality in the world. In 2024, Beijing recorded the highest number of days with good air quality and the fewest days with severe pollution on record, while its PM2.5 level consistently met the national air quality standard for the fifth year in a row.
To build a beautiful China and combat climate change, it is necessary to implement the “two carbon goals”. China integrates them into the overall concept of building an ecological civilization, as well as the overall position of socio-economic development. The “two carbon goals” are to achieve the peak of carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. China, in line with expectations, announced its desire to achieve the peak of emissions by 2030, but its announcement of the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 was unexpected by the whole world. Although most developed countries have promised to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, but the EU and the UK peaked emissions in 1990, and they have 60 years from the peak to the declared period of carbon neutrality, the US has 45 years, and China only about 30. At the same time, China's total emissions are greater than those of other countries. Therefore, after reaching the peak, the pace and scale of emissions reductions will have to be significantly higher than in developed countries. Due to the short deadline and complexity of the task, China will have to make a huge effort.
The national carbon trading market is one of the key tools to achieve the two carbon targets. At the end of 2017, China launched the national carbon trading system. The government determines the total emissions and allocates allowances to enterprises according to certain rules. If an enterprise’s actual emissions are lower than the allocated allowances, it can sell the surplus on the market and make a profit. If the cost of reducing emissions is high for an enterprise and its emissions exceed the allocated allowances, it will have to buy the missing allowances on the market. In this way, through carbon trading, all enterprises collectively achieve the government’s emission reduction targets at a lower cost. As of the end of 2024, the volume of greenhouse gas emission allowances traded was 630 million tons, and the total turnover reached over 43 billion yuan (over 6 billion US dollars).
The renewable energy industry has developed particularly rapidly, significantly reducing dependence on traditional fossil fuels and achieving remarkable emission reductions, laying a solid foundation for achieving the dual carbon targets. By the end of 2024, China's installed renewable energy (RES) capacity had reached 1.89 GW, accounting for about 56% of the country's total installed capacity. China's wind power and photovoltaic products have been exported to more than 200 countries and regions, including Belt and Road countries. China has actively participated in major climate negotiations and made significant contributions to the achievement and implementation of the Paris Agreement, helping developing countries strengthen their capacity to promote green development and respond to climate change. Combating climate change is not only China's domestic need for sustainable development, but also an international responsibility of a responsible major country. As Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized, in the face of environmental challenges, humanity is a community with a shared future in which we are all interconnected. No country can remain on the sidelines.
The ancient Chinese traditional culture concept of “the unity of heaven and man” contains profound ecological wisdom. It says that man should strive for harmonious coexistence with nature. And how to achieve harmony with nature? We must treat nature with deep reverence, respect it, follow its laws and protect it in order to build a country for harmonious coexistence between man and nature. We must clearly understand that if we continue to destroy nature, catastrophic consequences await us. This is not only global warming, but also rising sea levels, the collapse of the Atlantic current system and other terrible chain changes. Let us compare the climate situation with the parable of the frog in slowly warming water. We are like this frog: either we do not realize the gradual warming of the water, or we do not perceive it as a threat. As a result, without having time to react in time, we find ourselves in a death trap. Climate change is accelerating, but it is not too late to change course. According to President Xi Jinping, we should shoulder the responsibility of human civilization, respect, follow and protect nature. It is important to find a way for human and nature to coexist harmoniously, achieve the coordinated unity of economic development and environmental protection, and jointly build a prosperous, clean and beautiful world.
