China is stepping up its efforts at tackling climate change. In its new five-year plan for 2021 to 2025, environmental policies are front and center. Our reporter Taoyuan has the details.
TAO YUAN Chengdu "Welcome to my kitchen, where I'm proud to show you my garbage sorting system. Lately, it's become a new fashion. So this is my recycling bin, so bottles, cartons and paper go in here. Here's my bin for organic waste. And here's everything that's not recyclable."
You're probably already doing it, perhaps even better than me. If not, you'll likely be doing it soon. You will have a bigger role to play in cutting down pollution and protecting the environment. That's because China is putting climate and environment firmly at the heart of its entire economic and social strategy for the next five years.
TAO YUAN "You will likely be getting around in one of these cars."
Sales of new energy vehicles, including electric, plug-in hybrid and hydrogen-powered vehicles in China are forecast to rise to 20% of overall new car sales by 2025, according to the State Council from just 5% today.
China is investing heavily in green tech. It's now the world's largest producer of solar panels, wind turbines, batteries and electric vehicles.
TAO YUAN "Brace yourself, we're speeding up. If you're an avid traveller like me, you'll see more of this - China's natural beauty at its best."
This is part of the country's new national park system, with 10 pilot parks spread across 12 different provinces and regions.
NI JIUBIN Senior Manager, Sichuan Project, The Nature Conservancy "One feature of our national park system is it incorporates both humans and nature into one system. It takes into account people's participation and ownership. So it not only has strong functions for ecological protection, but also encourages people to join in on the efforts, and to benefit from it in the process."
These are China's richest lands in biodiversity. But human activities and global warming have combined to threaten the fragile ecological balance.
Here on the "roof of the world", the permafrost is melting, glaciers are disappearing. Places like this now looks like a desert.
TAO YUAN "So there's no time to waste in cutting greenhouse gas emissions. China says it's going to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060."
ZOU JI CEO & President, Energy Foundation China "For the moment, coal accounts for around 58% of the overall primary energy. But we should make that percentage go down to 50%, less than 50% in the coming five years, even lower."
That means you'll experience fewer days like this. Far less, according to experts.
ZOU JI CEO & President, Energy Foundation China "We will enjoy high quality air for our health, for our amenities, for our happiness. This is immediate benefit we can gain."
China, the world's number one polluter, now wants to be an environmental champion. And that's also going to have a big impact on global sustainability.