Everyone knows how deadly Chinese air pollution can be. It's not just the fact that prolonged exposure can cause serious health effects. It's also how pollution can affect pregnant women and their unborn babies. A new study highlighted by the New York Times points out that out of all the participants involved, 6.8% experienced miscarriages in their first trimester as a result of deadly Chinese air pollution. Additionally, the effects of climate change are becoming more severe. Everyone on earth is now aware of how hot the climate has gotten compared to even 10 years ago. This rising heat around the globe is causing more than just a few problems. Entire cities have been affected by the following statistics:
A temperature increase of 0.24 /decade from 1951 to 2017
Precipitation of China was 641.3 mm in 2017, 1.8% more than average precipitation of previous years
Sea level rise was 3.3mm/year from 1980 to 2017
These statistics among others show that in more than one way, climate change is affecting China more than anywhere else on the globe. For these reasons, the Central Beijing Government has implemented an energy strategy that will adopt an economy centered around low carbon industry developments, electric mobility, and increased green energy. If the policy is effective, we will see the country total green energy production account for one-fifth of the overall energy production. Not only does this align with global trends of energy reform, it far exceeds what any other nation is attempting. For this, President Xi Jinping can be considered ahead of his time. Only time will tell. However, we can closely analyze the policy and critically compare it against other nations to closely examine its potential effectiveness.
Where Economic Agenda And A Low Carbon Policy Combine
It's no secret that the Chinese economy has ambitions to stay the largest in the world. With a vast manufacturing sector and an ever-increasing population, Beijing certainly has the right to claim the top spot. However, as President Xi Jinping's speech at the World Economic Forum's meeting in Davos suggests, growth and globalization should not be considered without discussing its negative impacts. By aligning the country's economic agenda with a low carbon industry policy, the country's overall plan for growth will follow a low carbon / green energy pathway that promote both economic growth and sustainability simultaneously.
Many skeptics argue that the country's global growth has been severely impacted by coercive strategies coming out of Beijing. Things like foreign blacklists for financial institutions, currency manipulation, a lack of trademark laws, and even discrimination against foreign firms have all contributed to the rise of the economy. However, President Xi Jinping's stance on combining growth and low carbon industries is mirrored by countries around the world. Everywhere from the UAE to Denmark has been on a crusade to construct an economy that works with mother nature rather than against it.
If one thing is for certain, it is the fact that China has visibly become the largest player in the development of renewable energy. No other country produces more hardware and materials designed for the production of renewable energy. This yet again stays consistent with the Chinese nickname of The Worlds Factory.
According to the Center For Strategic & International Studies, 'The international community should be assured that China is genuinely interested in leading the world in one particular sector: deployment and investment in renewable energy.8 China is already leading in renewable energy production figures. It is currently the world's largest producer of wind and solar energy,9 and the largest domestic and outbound investor in renewable energy.10 Four of the world's five biggest renewable energy deals were made by Chinese companies in 2016. As of early 2017, China owns five of the world's six largest solar module manufacturing companies and the world's largest wind turbine manufacturer'. (CSIS.org, 2020)
Based on experience, figures, statistics, and current policies in place, it makes total sense that China should be leading the globalized push towards a greener world. If sheer skin in the game is the determining factor for which country should set the global standard, China leads by far. Her skeptics will always bring up the negative side of everything. Every country has done its fair share of biased policies in an attempt to promote its citizens over everyone else. That is just the nature of the beast. However, we must not overlook the fact that no other country has set into motion a policy that combines tremendous economic growth based on a foundation of low carbon and renewable energy technologies.
The geopolitical implications of a green world led by the Chinese government are a fearful outlook for some. However, when you take the political motives out of the equation, it is a moral obligation to look towards the most experienced nation to lead the charge forward.
Chinese Renewable Energy Goals Are More Ambitious Than Anyone Else’s
The International Energy Agency estimates that anywhere between 36% to 40% of the world's growth in solar and wind energy will come from China over the next 5 years. This is only one small measure of how the Chinese are working in overdrive to become the world's leader in low carbon industry developments. A new term is being thrown around also. That is the word 'ecological civilization'. This definition of this term signifies a society that is dedicated to lowering its fossil fuel use, lowering climate change effects, and improving energy efficiency. Most, if not all of the goals of China's new clean energy policy are aimed at converting its society from an industrial one to an ecological one.
China's ambitious clean energy policies have been consistently growing since 2000. Every graph and report product by research organizations around the world shows an exploding growth in wind power, solar power, low carbon technologies, and electric mobility between 2003-2003. In fact, from 2006-2008 China's wind power capacity doubled every year. The only other nation that has numbers even close to that is the United States. There should be no doubt that the nation in control of the world's wind energy production is by far China.
As we move into 2020, Chinese energy production plans have become even more ambitious than in the previous decades. This plan will put increased pressure on renewable energy growth in all sectors around the country. That includes everyone from small independent manufactures in the West and large manufacturers in the North. In the fight against climate change, there is no greater tool in the arsenal than renewables and low carbon industry policies. Thanks to the vast industry power of the manufacturing sector, Chinese companies can produce renewable energy at a cheaper rate than any other country in the world. This helps with everything from biodiesel generators to Chinese NEVs
Wholesale Chinese manufacturers producing NEVs experience the same breakthrough advantages as other industries thanks to their economies of scale. Additionally, electric mobility is one other huge part of their new clean energy policy. Some researchers estimate that Chinese NEV manufacturers can produce vehicles 75% cheaper than anywhere else in the world.
As we've seen in the past, the Chinese government has been very reluctant to bring in assistance from foreign investors and inventors. Additionally, extremely lax trademark laws and foreign tariffs have discouraged investors and inventors from doing business with Chinese manufacturers on a large scale. However, all that is changing. Part of the new energy policy is to open the doors to foreign industrial and technological developments to help speed up the timeline on how China can reach its objectives. We are mainly seeing this collaboration take place in the industries of renewable energy. That is not to say that other sectors cannot expect to see such collaboration. It just means that for now, the ultimate way the central Beijing government and foreign industries are collaborating is through renewable energies that require multiple stages of production.
The Economy Of Tomorrow Is A Low Carbon Based Green Economy
How can you convert your country into a carbon-neutral landscape? By carbon neutral, I mean that your carbon footprint for the entire nation has a zero impact on climate change as a whole. The central Beijing government has realized that this process involves creating an economy based on low carbon technologies. If you've ever heard the term decarbonizing energy then you know what we are talking about. Taking the carbon footprint away from your energy production takes a massive coordinated effort that starts at the top and works its way down to the smallest processing plant, manufacturing facility, and further on down to any business within the country.
To make this a possibility, the Chinese country has expanded not just their solar energy production, but also their wind energy production to a level that the world cannot compete with. As we mentioned above, by leveraging their economies of scale, they have been able to significantly beat out everyone on sheer price point alone. Another interesting fact is that all roads lead to 2030. With 60-65% of its carbon footprint eliminated, the country is on track to become a carbon-neutral economy in no time.
Encouraging economic growth at the expense of the world economy is not something the world will permit. On the same token, China taking the spot as a leader in renewable energy is also something the world has a problem accepting. From China's perspective, the only way to move forward is to do what they have always done. Which is to be bigger, smarter, faster, and stronger than anyone else. By taking a position of power, the world will have no choice but to accept their status as the world's leader in renewable energies. This methodology combined with a low carbon-based green economy philosophy will eventually yield one of the world's fastest-growing green economies. It won't happen overnight, but the signs are already there. We can already see how quickly the country is progressing. Their updated energy policies are just the latest addition to their philosophy to always push forward.
Conclusion
This commitment coming from China to not only leads the world in renewable energy but to support the development and solicit collaboration comes at the perfect moment. These new policies are a direct opposite of the stance of the United States which has blocked major green energy funding. White House officials and President Donald Trump's commitment to cut green energy funding only serves to make China's stance of unlimited advancement more necessary from a global perspective. Not only is China leveraging their manufacturing sector to lower production costs, but they are also investing heavily in fundamental research that will shift the tides of green energy in their favor.
You may have heard about the United States withdrawal from the Paris Climate Change Agreement. This essentially means that while the U.S does have a large green energy industry, the country as a whole has abandoned any emissions requirements for the sake of profits alone. One could conclude that China has a better foresight in being able to see the potential returns once they have become a carbon-neutral country. Additionally, they have been in constant contact with foreign partners from around the world to spearhead new and advanced developments that will serve to benefit all of mankind.
