April 2024
-
‘Sponge cities’ help climate-proof China
Cover photo: Sanya Mangrove Park – Yu has proposed “sponge cities” that prioritise green space to deal with flooding. Photo by Turenscape Beijing-based landscape architect Kongjian Yu has pioneered the concept of “sponge cities” – urban landscapes designed to soak up storm water, while creating appealing natural spaces Chinese landscape architect Kongjian Yu believes that Continue reading
-
China helps Ethiopia with off-grid solar
Ethiopian utility and Huawei sign MoU to provide solar electricity to communities in off-grid areas Ethiopia, which joined the BRICS group of emerging economies on 1 January 2024, currently generates around 90% percent of its electricity from renewable sources due to its large hydropower capacity. However, according to to World Bank only just over half of Continue reading
-
New anti-China narrative: overcapacity
During her visit to China at the beginning of April, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen expressed her concern about an alleged overcapacity in the Asian giant’s new energy sector. In the last few weeks, this idea has been circulating in the Western media, accusing the Chinese government’s subsidies to energy sector companies as “unfair”. The Continue reading
-
China bio-regions reshaped by climate change
Chinese study shows climate change impact on China’s dry–wet transition zones Climate change is significantly altering bioclimatic environments in China’s dry–wet transition zones, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Hydrology. The research conducted by scientists from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the UK Met Office and Continue reading
-
Extreme weather hits south and east Asia
This extreme weather comes as the World Meteorological Organization published a report warning that climate change is causing major repercussions across Asia. SOUTHERN CHINA HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLOODING INTENSE HEATWAVE ACROSS SOUTH AND EASTERN ASIA. Source: Carbon Debrief, Apr 26, 2024. Continue reading
-
BRICS invites Serbia to summit in October
Various media sources have reported that the BRICS bloc has invited Serbia to its next summit in Russia later this year. Russia holds the BRICS presidency in 2024, with the central event of its presidency being the summit of BRICS leaders in Kazan in October. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has stated that he will consider Continue reading
-
China explores chemical recycling of plastic
Chinese study sees huge potential of chemical recycling in dealing with plastic pollution A recent report has stressed the huge potential of chemical recycling in dealing with plastic pollution, saying the output from the oil-producing recycling approach may potentially equal to two times of that from China’s largest oil production base by 2035. Complied by Continue reading
-
China: mosquito bacteria fight Dengue & Zika
Chinese study discovers bacteria that fights Dengue and Zika in mosquitoes – resident mosquito gut bacteria disarms viruses and stops the spread of diseases Researchers from the Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences in Beijing have discovered a bacterium that live in the gut of some mosquitoes and secrete an enzyme that rapidly acidifies the insect’s Continue reading
-
‘Peak China’ is a Western myth
So called “Peak China” is simply a Western campaign for China to commit economic suicide Foreword: A few days ago the European Union announced it would launch a subsidy investigation into Chinese wind turbine suppliers in several EU countries, as the bloc steps up trade protectionism against China’s new-energy industries – the fourth such “investigation” Continue reading
-
Ethiopia’s Chinese Electric Buses
Chinese electric buses introduced to Ethiopia to advance green transport agenda In Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, the city’s mounting gridlock is creating safety and health risks, producing more greenhouse gas emissions and impeding economic development. Ethiopia became a member of the BRICS bloc of emerging economies on January 1, 2024. In late March 2024, Continue reading
-
Sustainability China’s next economic goal
Sustainability driving China’s next economic transformation Writing in the South China Morning Post, analyst Lub Bun Chong reflects on the fact that many Western narratives “red-flag” China’s economic situation but in doing so do not grasp that these are the side-effects of the transformations China initiated in 2014 by ushering in a “new normal” and Continue reading
-
Cloud seeding not responsible for UAE flood
Climate change, not cloud seeding, responsible for UAE flood Crazy and baseless rumours are circulating that the recent flood in the BRICS-member United Arab Emirates was caused by cloud seeding. No so. There was no recent cloud seeding activity conducted prior to the storm. It was totally compatible with the impacts of climate change. Certain Continue reading
-
Winds of Change: China’s wind turbines
The Winds of Change: Why the EU is investigating China’s wind turbines? When the European Commission (EC) initiated an investigation into subsidies allegedly provided to Chinese wind turbine suppliers, an undeniable undertone of scepticism made itself heard that China’s exponential advance in renewable energy must have involved factors beyond the market. But is that really Continue reading
-
EU to limit Chinese wind turbines?
Photo: A wind farm in China’s northern Hebei province. Like solar panels, EVs and lithium-ion batteries, China saw robust growth in exports of wind turbines last year: Xinhua EU limits on Chinese wind turbines could jeopardise climate targets On 9 April, 2024 the European Union announced it would launch a subsidy investigation into Chinese wind Continue reading
-
China solar for Suriname remote villages
BRI: China helps Suriname solve power shortage in remote villages Under the Belt and Road Initiative, China is helping local people in remote areas build small hybrid power plants in the South American country of Suriname. Nine of the villages are so remote that diesel can only be brought in by boat on the river. Continue reading
-
Major global environmental treaties US won’t ratify
Published 2021/08/23 Most of the world’s countries support these global agreements on conservation and pollution. China has ratified each of them, but the United States of America refuses In one of his first acts after taking power US, President Biden signed an executive order to have the United States rejoin the Paris climate agreement. This Continue reading
-
China’s Policies and Actions for Addressing Climate Change
Published 2022/08/25 In November 2019 the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China published a report titled China’s Policies and Actions for Addressing Climate Change. The stated aim of the report was to help “interested people fully understand China’s policies and actions, and their performance and effects in addressing climate change.” That report remains a Continue reading
-
Extreme heat and global climate
Published 2022/08/24 What does extreme heat tell us about global climate? China recently braved its strongest heatwave. Europe is also suffering from heatwaves and the worst drought in 500 years. What’s behind the high temperatures? And what does this extreme heat tell us about global climate change? What is going to be the impact on Continue reading
-
Emerging technologies hasten China’s renewables revolution
Published2022/08/20 Electricity generation remains China’s major source of CO2 emissions. China Daily reports: Digital technology will play an important role in Chinese power generation enterprises’ transition to a low carbon world by enabling emissions reductions, according to a recently released report. Digitalization tools, including the internet of things, 5G, smart grids and distributed energy resources, along Continue reading
-
The Kunming Declaration: Ecological Civilization
The Kunming Declaration: Ecological Civilization – Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth CHINA CHAIRS UN CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY Published2022/08/26 China currently holds the rotating Presidency of the Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biodiversity (CBD). This is the first time China has overseen a major UN intergovernmental negotiation on the Continue reading
-
Climate catastrophes: China hit by floods
World facing climate catastrophes? China hit by floods Published 2022/08/19 LEVELS OF RAINFALL IN CHINA NOT SEEN SINCE THE EARLY 1960S. Authorities across much of southern China have issued weather advisories for heavy rain and severe flooding. Over 80 rivers have already seen waters exceed warning levels after days of heavy rains. Over 1.79 million Continue reading
-
China launches major ecology projects
China launches major scientific and technological projects in ecology and environment – Ministry of Ecology and Environment China has continued to launch a series of major scientific and technological projects and initiatives, including drones, big data, cloud computing, and the internet of things, in the ecological and environmental field, according to the country’s environmental authorities. Continue reading
-
Vietnam working on BRICS membership bid
Vietnam is actively working on a bid to join the BRICS economic group, Russia’s Izvestia newspaper has reported. Vietnam is a developing country with a population of over 99 million people, and has a mixed socialist-oriented market economy. It is the 35th-largest economy in the world by nominal gross domestic product and the 26th-largest economy Continue reading
-
Are heat waves China’s new normal
For China are heat waves are the ‘new normal’ under climate change? Published 2022/08/19 It’s not a mirage. Across China, heat waves are becoming more frequent, lasting longer, and getting hotter — with deadly consequences. For more than a month, much of China has been blanketed by extreme heat. From June 16 to July 9, Continue reading
-
Drought triggers power shortages in China’s Yangtze basin
Published2022/08/19 Since mid-June, China has been facing the most intense and enduring heat waves since records began in 1961, according to the National Climate Centre. In the past week, the middle and lower Yangtze River basin has experienced exceptionally hot and dry spells in what is supposed to be the flood season, forcing provinces to Continue reading
-
Iran joining BRICS ‘will add value’
Published2022/08/19 The 14th BRICS summit took place on 23rd and 24th June 2022 by video conference hosted by China. Iran has applied to become a member of BRICS, and Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi was invited by Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend the summit. President Raisi gave a speech, elaborating on Iran’s viewpoints on the Continue reading
-
Noise affects mate choice in animals: Chinese study
Chinese researchers have discovered that noise influences mate choice based on visual information in animal Published2022/08/16 Chinese researchers have discovered that noise influences mate choice based on visual information in animals via cross-sensory interference, according to the Chengdu Institute of Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Animal communication is often hampered by noise interference, Continue reading
-
China ends super-tall construction
New ban set to smash China’s super-tall construction craze Published2022/08/15 The 632-meter Shanghai Tower easily puts to shame other skyscrapers in China ever since its construction was finished in 2015. Sitting on the Huangpu River bank in Shanghai, it is currently the world’s third highest. Where the next new super-tall construction would come out in Continue reading
-
China commissions 200 MW vanadium battery
China commissions first phase of 200 MW ‘vanadium flow battery’ – scale dwarfs anything else in the world Published2022/08/12 Energy Storage News reports that China has commissioned a 100MW/400MWh vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) energy storage system in Dalian City’s Shahekou District, which is in Liaoning Province in northeastern China. A vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) Continue reading
-
BRI projects benefit PNG
BRI projects bring significant benefits Papua New Guinea Published2022/08/12 BRI boosts local living standard, creates jobs, and nurtures skills in PNG Papua New Guinea was the first country in the South Pacific to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on the construction of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Projects undertaken by Chinese enterprises under Continue reading
-
Yellow River water rebalance
The Yellow River has been plagued by flooding for thousands of years, but decades of water conservancy and erosion control projects by China has tackled the root cause of the Yellow River’s flooding, promising to provide relief to the densely populated areas along its course. The Yellow River has undergone a dramatic shift during the Continue reading
-
China’s advantage in green manufacturing
China’s advantage in green manufacturing is blessing for climate action “Washington’s longing for China to slow down its green technology innovation and exports in order to give US companies more time to catch up is laughable.” US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on March 27, 2024 alleged that a jump in China’s green technology exports is Continue reading
-
China tool renewal boosts green transition
China’s climate goals: action plan calling for renewal of equipment can also boost green transition In a circular issued on March 13, 2024, the State Council, China’s cabinet, released an action plan to promote large-scale equipment renewals and trade-ins of consumer goods to propel the high-quality development of its economy and to boost investment and Continue reading
-
Chinese solid-state 2000 km EV battery
New Chinese solid-state battery to give EVs 2000 km range A solid-state battery developer in China has unveiled a new cell that could help change the game for electric mobility. Tailan New Energy’s vehicle-grade all-solid-state lithium batteries offer energy density twice that of other cells in the segment, empowering the Chinese battery maker to hail the cells Continue reading
-
China adapts tradition for eco-living
Grassland community center in China’s Inner Mongolia adapts traditional Mongolian Ger for sustainable living In the vast expanse of China’s inner Mongolia’s grasslands, Ger Atelier and Inner Mongolian Grand Architecture Design have sited the Zhengxiangbaiqi Grassland Community Center — a cluster of buildings reimagining traditional Mongolian ger structures with a contemporary framework, addressing challenges of sustainable development Continue reading
China Environment News 