Beijing's green blueprint: A model for low-carbon urban growth

Editor's note: Chen Ying, a special commentator for CGTN, is deputy director and research fellow of the Research Center for Sustainable Development under Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

On December 18 and 19, 2024, the Beijing Forum on Swift Response to Public Complaints is underway in Beijing, bringing together over 160 international guests from more than 40 countries. The forum focused on exploring pathways for modernizing urban governance. Multiple reform outcomes were released during the forum, including a Compilation of Research Papers on Swift Response to Public Complaints in Beijing (2024), Cases of Urban Governance Innovation (2024) and an Evaluation Report on Worldwide City Hotline Services and Governance Effectiveness (2024).

According to a report by the United Nations, the world's population exceeded 8 billion in 2023, and over half of the population live in cities. Cities worldwide face numerous common governance challenges, with climate change being one of the most critical. Promoting green and low-carbon development has thus become a vital aspect of urban governance modernization.

As the climate changes, the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events increase. Take Beijing for example. Data from the Beijing Climate Center shows that in 2023, the city's annual average temperature reached a record high since 1961. The Beijing Observatory recorded 34 high-temperature days, 2.4 times the annual average. The city suffered both extreme high temperatures in summer and severe cold spells in winter within the same year, setting its longest consecutive low-temperature record in December since 1951.

Between July 29 and August 2, 2023, Beijing also experienced the heaviest recorded rainfall in 140 years, resulting in severe flooding. The sudden shift between drought and flood conditions was particularly evident. On April 18, 2024, Beijing introduced an action plan for climate change adaptation, prioritizing disaster prevention, mitigation and enhancing urban climate resilience. 

It is evident from these efforts that promoting the transition to green and low-carbon energy and safeguarding the city's urban environment have become top priorities. During the 13th Five-Year Plan for the 2016-2020 period, Beijing established four major combined heat and power centers, phased out nearly 2.73 million kilowatts of coal-fired units and added about 7.24 million kilowatts of gas-fired units. This means electricity produced locally in Beijing is now generated using clean energy sources. Approximately 30,000 steam tons of coal-fired boilers were upgraded and clean alternatives for residential scattered coal usage were implemented.

Thanks to these measures, the share of coal in energy consumption decreased from 13.7 percent in 2015 to 1.9 percent in 2020, effectively achieving a coal-free status in Beijing's plain areas, which significantly reduced carbon dioxide and air pollutant emissions at the source. Beijing's annual average PM2.5 concentration dropped from 80.6 micrograms per cubic meter in 2015 to 32 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023, while the number of days with heavy pollution decreased from 42 to eight (including six sandstorm days). Beijing has made every effort to win the battle for clean air.

Beijing is accelerating the pace of building itself into a green and ecological city through a coordinated focus on production, lifestyle and ecology. Guided by Xi Jinping's thoughts on ecological civilization and aiming to build a world-class harmonious and livable capital, Beijing adheres to ecological priorities and green development while highlighting the unique characteristics of the capital.

In October 2022, the Beijing Action Plan for Carbon Dioxide Peaking was released, emphasizing the integration of green development principles into urban governance. The plan seeks to identify emission reduction opportunities across production, lifestyle and ecological development. It also promotes the systematic governance of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes and grasslands while strengthening the protection and restoration of forests, wetlands, farmland and urban ecosystems. The action plan provides Beijing with a clear roadmap, timetable and task list for achieving carbon dioxide peaking and carbon neutrality goals.

To advance green and low-carbon development, Beijing continuously innovates and refines its policy framework based on practical needs. First, it has optimized industrial and energy structures. The city has defined coal-free zones with designated boundaries, restricted high-emission industries, prohibited the establishment of new industrial enterprises and limited the construction of energy-intensive projects. 

Furthermore, Beijing has accelerated the advancement of green building technologies by encouraging prefabricated construction and modular interior design and implementing energy-saving retrofitting for existing buildings. Additionally, the city has improved low-carbon transportation systems by scaling up electric vehicles to replace fuel-powered cars, adjusting and optimizing public transit network layouts and advancing the construction of dedicated bus lanes. 

Moreover, it has further developed a system of energy-saving and environmental protection standards. It formulated and revised standards for near-zero energy consumption buildings and waste reduction to actively contribute to ecological restoration and green development. Meanwhile, Beijing has also established mechanisms for carbon trading and green finance to support the city's sustainability goals. These measures have significantly driven Beijing's green and low-carbon development.

Beijing has been continuously enhancing urban governance to ensure green and low-carbon development. As one of China's first ecological civilization demonstration zones and a benchmark city for building a world-class harmonious and livable capital, Beijing adheres to the development philosophy of putting ecology first. The city has strengthened its top-level design for green and low-carbon development, deepened reforms in the ecological civilization system and consistently enhanced its governance capabilities in this area.

Climate change remains one of the most severe challenges facing humanity. As hubs for population and economic activity, cities account for over 70 percent of the world's total energy consumption and carbon emissions. Promoting green and low-carbon development is therefore a critical aspect of urban governance modernization while strengthening international cooperation in green and low-carbon development is equally essential.

The event not only showcased Beijing's achievements as a beautiful and vibrant city, but also served as an excellent opportunity to share and exchange experiences on urban governance and the transition toward green and low-carbon development, offering Beijing's experience to the international community.

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