China's green and low-carbon industry enriches global sustainability landscape

Editor's note: Xue Tianhang is a researcher at the Research Center for Regional Coordinated Development, Zhejiang University. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN. It has been translated from Chinese and edited for brevity and clarity.

In recent years, China's green and low-carbon industry has expanded rapidly, contributing to a significantly greater portion of economic growth. The country's establishment of a green and low-carbon industrial system has picked up pace. As of 2023, China hosted 5,095 national-level green factories, 371 green industrial parks and over 600 green supply chain management enterprises. The innovation capability of green and low-carbon technologies has been considerably enhanced. From 2011 to 2020, the number of patent applications filed by China for environment-related technology inventions was close to 60 percent of the world's total, making it the most active country in environmental technology innovation.

Furthermore, the output of green and low-carbon products has witnessed remarkable growth. In 2023, the production of the so-called "new three" products – namely, electric vehicles, solar cells and lithium-ion batteries for automobiles – increased by 30.3 percent, 54 percent, and 22.8 percent year on year, respectively. The production of green energy products such as hydroelectric generators, wind turbines and charging piles rose by 35.3 percent, 28.7 percent and 36.9 percent year on year, respectively, all significantly higher than the economic growth rate. The proportion of green and low-carbon industries in the macroeconomy continues to rise.

Since 2012, China has registered an average annual economic growth of 6.6 percent with a 3 percent annual increase in energy consumption, resulting in a 26.4 percent decrease in energy consumption per unit of GDP. This translates into saving 1.4 billion tonnes of standard coal and reducing emissions of 2.94 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide, making China one of the global leaders in reducing energy intensity.

While focusing on its own green and low-carbon transformation, China has maintained an open attitude in extensive international collaboration, sharing its achievements in green and low-carbon development with the world and actively fostering international partnerships in resource conservation and ecological and environmental protection, thus ushering in opportunities for mutual growth and common prosperity to all countries.

China has initiated 10 low-carbon demonstration zones and 100 projects for climate change mitigation and adaptation in developing countries and implemented more than 200 projects to aid foreign countries in tackling climate change challenges. It has initiated the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) International Green Development Coalition, built the BRI Environmental Big Data Platform and trained 3,000 green development talents for more than 120 participating countries.

Wind power and photovoltaic products from China have been exported to over 200 countries and regions in the world, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 573 million tonnes for other countries. The total emission reduction amount has exceeded 2.8 billion tonnes, accounting for 41 percent of the global carbon reduction through renewable energy during the same period. According to the report of the International Energy Agency, the average cost per kilowatt-hour of wind power and photovoltaic power generation projects worldwide has cumulatively decreased by more than 60 percent and 80 percent, respectively, over the past decade, with a significant portion attributed to China's innovation, manufacturing and engineering.

The pursuit of green and low-carbon transformation is a common aspiration of all countries. Upholding the concept of a human community with a shared future and striving to enhance the well-being of all mankind, China remains committed to working with all stakeholders to advance the development of the green and low-carbon industry, build the foundation of ecological civilization, keep to the path of green development, safeguard our green home on Earth and promote the construction of a better world.