Greening China: Nature drives energy efficiency, low-carbon growth

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China's 2025 National Energy Efficiency Promotion Week (June 23 to 29) and the National Low-Carbon Day (June 25) highlight the country's commitment to energy efficiency and low-emission development.

At the heart of China's low-carbon strategy lie natural ecosystems – forests, grasslands and wetlands – that act as vast carbon banks.

In 2022, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration launched 18 pilot cities and counties for forestry carbon sinks, alongside 21 state-owned forest carbon-sink demonstration sites, forging pathways for high-quality carbon-sink development.

A 2024 survey shows that China's forests and grasslands absorb over 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, ranking highest in the world.

Complementing nature's capture power, mega-projects like the west-to-east power transmission help shift energy from renewables-rich regions to demand centers, boosting overall energy efficiency while cutting emissions.

This photo feature profiles China's demonstration practices and innovative mechanisms for ecological carbon sinks, showing how policy-driven carbon-sink assessment and trading are forging deep integration between ecosystem protection and low-carbon growth.

Saihanba Mechanical Forest Farm, one of 21 state-owned forest carbon-sink pilot sites, Chengde City, Hebei Province, north China, September 22, 2023. /VCG

An aerial view of the Jiangxinzhou wastewater treatment plant in Nanjing City, east China's Jiangsu Province, June 4, 2025. /VCG

Distributed rooftop solar arrays in an industrial park in Yinchuan City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, northwest China, August 10, 2024. /VCG

"West-to-east" power transmission towers in Xiliangshan Village, Anhui Province, east China, August 2, 2024. /VCG

The Honghualing low-carbon environmental park showcases sustainable landscaping and renewable energy systems in Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, south China, June 14, 2023. /VCG

Tourists glide along the Lijiang River in electric bamboo rafts, combining eco-tourism with zero-emission travel in Guilin City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, south China, September 24, 2024. /VCG

(Cover: Wind turbines and the coastal shelterbelt forest in Weihai City, Shandong Province, east China, August 7, 2024. /VCG)