Boao Near-Zero Carbon Demonstration Zone in south China's island province of Hainan officially commenced operations on March 17, signifying a notable advancement in the country's pursuit of sustainable development.
Jointly built by Hainan Provincial People's Government and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development over the past three years, the project aims to showcase China's green and low-carbon development concepts, technologies and practices to the world. The demonstration zone has recently undergone an accreditation evaluation where it met the "near-zero carbon zone" criteria under the technical standards for zero carbon buildings.
Flower-shaped wind turbines in Boao Town, Hainan, March 17, 2024. /CFP
Located on Dongyu Island, where the annual Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) is hosted, the demonstration zone is situated on a 1.8-square-kilometer plot. Before the accreditation evaluation, the zone went through renovations in eight different areas, including garden landscape ecology and the green transformation of buildings and transportation.
A parking lot with photovoltaic devices in Boao Town, Hainan, March 17, 2024. /CFP
Taking advantage of Dongyu Island's sunny weather, solar panels have been built on the rooftops of the buildings in the demonstration zone, while the BFA press center has been remodeled with photovoltaic shutters. The solar power collected by the panels will then be used at public buildings, such as hotels and the press center.
The BFA Annual Conference 2024 will be held from March 26 to 29 in Boao Town, focusing on how the international community can work together to deal with common challenges and shoulder their responsibilities.
(Cover via CFP)